Over The Counter
by TwiAddictAnne
Summary: Seattle pharmacist Bella Swan thinks her chance at a fairy tale love story is over when her parents push her towards an arranged marriage. For Doctor Edward Cullen, love was never in the radar. Will the arrangement mean a love-less marriage? Or will love find them along the way? AH, OOC, Canon Couples. Rated M for language but may contain lemons in later chapter.
1. Chapter 1: My Super Boring Life

**Chapter-1: My Super Boring Life**

Hey! I'm Bella, as in, Isabella Swan. But I prefer Bella. I'm 23 years old pharmacist with a super boring life. My dad, Charlie (also known as Chief Swan), is a cop in the stupid, little, mossy town of Forks, Washington. My mom, Renee, is totally harebrained. She changes her hobbies every few months. But professionally, she's a kindergarten teacher at the Forks Elementary. She loves to experiment with stuffs like- hairdressing (a disaster!), pottery (she somehow singed her eyebrows with that one!) or candle-making (this one was epic- setting me Dad's beloved uniforms on fire!)... Well, you get the idea.

Charlie is the exact opposite of Renee. He goes to work, gets back home, lounges on the recliner, watches TV (sports _only_!) while drinking beer or having dinner and then goes to bed. Totally boring!

Sometimes I wish I was like my Mom- a little bit... at least in the beauty front! But no! I was all Charlie! Standing before the mirror I always curse my Dad. Did he have to be so... _plain_? I had both his boring chocolate brown eyes and uncharacteristic brown hair. If it's any consolation, my hair does have part of my Mom in the red highlights and the slight curls in the ends. My skin is porcelain white – from my Mom – seriously I look like a part albino or some shit! My figure is _not to die for_; it is okay. Though my best friend, Rosalie, always says I have a decent rack and mile long legs but… well, she's supposed to say that- she's my best friend after all.

I was born and raised in the slimy, sickly, sloppy town of Forks; where it rained over 360 days of the year. I hate that place. At the end of high school when everyone was either getting married (small town mentality… getting pregnant then getting married) or preparing to escape to sunnier climates, I could not. It was not due to lack of good grades or scholarships; it was because I knew my parents will be heart-broken without me. That was the time I seriously wished I had a younger sibling.

Anyway, I gave up Stanford, UCLA and NYU. Instead, I went to college in Seattle. It was a good compromise. I didn't have to live in Forks but was only 4 hours away from my parents. Rose, being the most dedicated best friend, joined me there for Pharm D. Now, after 5 years of excruciating studies we are both registered pharmacists. We had both applied to Seattle Grace hospital for jobs- Rose as a hospital pharmacist and me as a clinical pharmacist.

Last month we got our appointment letters. Now we are living in the apartment which Rose's parents Mr. and Mrs. Hale had gotten us with Rose's little brother (by 6 minutes), Jasper. Jasper was doing an internship at Seattle Grace and we are like three happy siblings!

In Seattle, Rose became a night patron of sorts. Her latest haunt was Joe's – a bar most of Seattle Grace frequented. There she would pick some random guy for each night, go clubbing or something, and then within a week she moves onto the next guy. Whereas I, dutifully went to work, after work went to Joe's (only if work was stressful – which it wasn't in most days; because for the first month I was to intern under various doctors. Then I was going to be appointed to one of them), came back home and went to bed. So in that sense, I am truly Charlie's daughter.

On weekends, I would go home to visit my parents and then curl up in my old bed with one of my classic romance novels. I liked the idea of romance, having never experienced it myself. Being perpetually awkward and having a Dad with access to guns never really attracted guys. So… yeah, I am Isabella Swan, 23 years old and still a virgin.


	2. Chapter 2: Urgent Calls

**Disclaimer: No copyrights infringement intended. I don't own Twilight saga or any of its awesome characters.**

**A/N: I have four things to say, first, I have absolutely NO IDEA about the hospital system in the US. The only ideas I have are based on watching too much TV shows... :P**

**Second, there is no job position of clinical pharmacist in Bangladesh, yet. And I really have no idea what are their responsibilities in the outside world. So I am basing my story on the limited idea I got from my professors in university about the roles and responsibilities of clinical pharmacists. As this is purely a fiction, I intend to take some liberties.**

**Third, I'd like to thank each and every one of you who have taken some time out to read, favourite and put on alert my story. A special thanks to Leibeezer for your encouraging review! J**

**Finally, this is gonna be a slow ride for a while guys, so please be patient. And in the mean time, head over to read my one-shot ****_Yes!_**

**Chapter-2: Urgent Calls**

On Friday morning, August 4th, 2013, on the way to my rounds with Dr. Farrell, the Chief of Medicine, my cell phone started ringing. I shot him an apologetic glance and went to answer it. It was my Dad.

"Hello! Dad, you know I'll come home tomorrow morning. Why are you calling _now_? I was on my rounds!"

"_Sorry, Kid. But your Mom had been badgering me to make sure you get home by tomorrow._"

"Why?" I asked warily, "Dad is something wrong?"

"_No, Bells don't worry. We just want to share some news with you. But it can wait till tomorrow._"

"Okay, Dad. I'll see you tomorrow then. Love you. Bye."

"_Love you too, Kiddo. See ya._"

Well, that was weird. What news can be so urgent that Mom had to make sure I did go home? I go home every weekend. So what's different this time? My hyperactive imagination ran the possible scenarios ranging from me getting a new sibling to my parents getting a divorce. But I quickly shook that thought because anyone with eyes could see how much in love they were. I guess I would find out tomorrow. I shrugged and went back to my rounds.

The day continued as any day in Seattle Grace – hectic but a learning experience. During my lunch break, I was sitting with Rose cradling my latte when suddenly she said, "Hey, did you tell your parents you'll not go to Forks tomorrow?" I instantly tensed up, "No. Why?" "Oh! I don't know", she shrugged, "Your mom called me to make sure we don't have any plans for the weekend and that you're going home tomorrow." Again, I felt a nagging on my mind. What was it about? Why are they desperate to get me home? Anyway I didn't dwell on my suspicions and told Rose that I had no idea. Then she snickered and said may be Renee had found a new recipe to torture us with (I forgot! Renee's culinary skills – worse than the candle making incident… just saying!).

While we were laughing about Renee's cooking expertise, Jasper joined us at the table and started talking a 1000 miles a second, "Dude! Have you guys seen the new neurology resident who came by today to sign the contract?" "No", both Rose and I replied. Jasper looked pleased to have the privilege of seeing the guy before us and said, "Well, you should've seen him. He's awesome! I was giving reports on one of our patients to the Chief and he diagnosed the problem just from listening to us!" I chided him saying, "So, eavesdropping on people and diagnosing a patient without any interaction with him is awesomeness?" Jasper's eyes almost popped out of his head, "Seriously, Dude, you didn't see him. He's like a _neuro-god_ or some shit!" Before I could make a snarky come back he continued, "And seeing as you, Sis, majored in CNS drugs… I believe you will be put under him when you get your placement." Rose, being the bitchy friend she was, had to snicker at that one, "Oh yeah! I bet Bella will be _under_ him!" I pulled a face at both of them and flipped them off before going back to work.

That night when I got home the answering machine was blinking. There were three messages – two for Jasper and one from my Mom. I skipped to play my one –

"_Hey, Bella, it's Mom. I was just checking to make sure you're coming down here tomorrow. Listen Sweetie is there anything you want to eat? I could cook a welcome home dinner. If want call me with the menu! Drive safe. Love you._"

I snorted at the message. I was a better cook than Renee. Why she would think that I would call her with a menu to get food poisoning was beyond me! Then the light bulb went off! They were pampering me! That means something was up… something very unpleasant. I tried to tell myself to not to over-think and went to bed.

After a restless night of sleep I woke up bright and early on Saturday morning to drive down to Forks in my second-hand beat up Chevy truck. I was too anxious for breakfast. So after downing my coffee like it was the last drop of water on earth and saying hasty goodbyes to both Rosalie and Jasper, I was on my way home.


	3. Chapter 3: Temper Tantrums

**Disclaimer: No copyrights infringement intended. I don't own Twilight saga or any of its awesome characters.**

**A/N: I would like to thank every one of you who have put OTC on your favorite story and a very special thanks to sujari6 for reviewing.**

**Guys, I'm new to fanfic writing and your support means a lot to me. And it will be nice to hear from my readers about what you think of my story so far. So, please review, if you don't mind. I'd love to read your thoughts. J**

**Chapter-3: Temper Tantrums**

"Mom? Dad? I'm home", I shouted from the front porch seeing both of my parents' cars in the driveway. This confused me even further. Most Saturday mornings dad would go fishing near the reservation with his best friend Billy Black. Actually, the only time I remember him staying in was about 5 years back- for an intervention…

It was New Years Day and my traitor friend, Jacob, Billy's son, had kissed me at midnight. It was nothing… just a chaste peck on the lips. He said he wanted my first kiss to be from someone who cared about me. I allowed it knowing that he felt more than friendship towards me only because I wanted my _first kiss_ shit to be over with before going off to college. It felt weird… like kissing my brother. Anyway I had explained my reasons for agreeing with him beforehand and he swore that it will be a one-time thing. The _piece of shit_ even promised me to keep it a secret. But like the big fat liar he is, the Traitor broke the promise on that night itself. And told his _and_ my parents that we were in love! _What a joke, right?_

By next morning his and my parents had arranged a full-on intervention to make me wear his promise ring (a Quileute equivalent of engagement ring) before I went off to college. Needless to say, I threw a HUGE tantrum; yelling and happily punching the living daylights out of Jake. That was the end of our friendship. I haven't kissed anyone ever since- let alone going out on a date… EVER. My reason was if a chaste peck from a D-bag brought that on who knew what the hell would happen if it was some random guy!

"Bells! Renee, she's home", Charlie's gruff voice brought me out of my past misery.

"Hey, Dad, what's up with the urgent home calls?" I asked. My query was a light one but seeing Charlie tense up made my previous suspicions more concrete.

"Nothing, Honey. Charlie let her come in and get settled first", my mom beamed from the doorway before coming to give me a nearly smothering hug.

I let Reneé lead me to my old room. It was just like it has been since I started High School- fairy lights, violet comforter, books all over the desk and nightstand, same pale yellow curtains- all of it. I missed my the bed like crazy in Seattle- it used to be my safe cloud in dreaded teen years at Forks High.

After freshening up and a rather Reneé-like lunch of _slightly burnt spaghetti with severely burnt meatballs_, we all sat down in the living room. For the first time since I could remember, Dad _did not_ switch on the TV. _Man! This shit- whatever it was- was serious!_

When I couldn't take the staring contest my parents seemed to be having I decided to break the silence. "Okay, guys, what's up? Why were you so anxious to get me home?" I looked form one to the other. Charlie looked at me guiltily and then shrugged towards Reneé as if to say, "All yours!" Huh! This was getting weirder by the minute.

"Mom?", I looked at Reneé rather sternly. Reneé gave me a nervous laugh and then started, "Sweetie, do you remember Dr. Cullen? He used to work in Forks General Hospital?" I could not see where this conversation was going so only shook my head. "Well, he had to put you together during the first four years of your life." _What the…? Why is she referring to my clumsiness? And talking like I'm fucking Humpty-Dumpty and I broke needing fixing in my childhood… Has my mother been drinking?_ All these thoughts quickly ran through my head.

"So…?" I pushed for answers.

Mom took a look at Dad, who was eagerly studying his fingernails, and continued, "See, Honey, Carlisle uprooted his family from here and went to England just after you turned four." _Well, someone had the brains to leave this boring as shit town- unlike you two_… was my first thought. However I kept my snarky remark to myself and simply nodded for her to continue.

Mom gave Dad another pleading look and he decided to take over, "See, Bells, the Cullens are back in town. In fact, Carlisle is coming over for dinner tonight with his wife, Esme and daughter, Alice." I raised my eyebrows and asked, "So… you want me to cook dinner?" That would make perfect sense. So, obviously Charlie shook his head saying, "No, no, I ordered Pizza already. It's actually not about dinner, Kid. We wanted to talk about your future."

Finally the light bulb went on my head. They were desperate to have me move back to Forks. So they have recruited the good doctor to get me job in the hospital here. _Well, sorry guys, but if you think I'm gonna leave my awesome job and come back to this hell hole you're sorely mistaken!_ I whined, "Oh! Dad, you can't be serious! I cannot leave Seattle Grace and come here to work for your friend."

"No, Honey, it's not about your job", Mom interfered, "The thing is, Carlisle and Esme happen to have a _son_." Oh, God! This was _not_ happening. My parents were trying to hook me up with the son?!

"No way, Mom! I'm _not _gonna date your friend's son." I was about to continue my rant about my freedom and shit but before I could, they both started to shake their heads.

"Okay, good. So, what about this guy?" I asked curiously.

My dad took a deep breath and said, "We do _not_ want you to _date_ him. We want you to _marry_ him." I snorted at Charlie's attempt at humor. But before I could start laughing my ass off I saw both of them look very serious.

My whole world seemed to have stopped. Then I erupted like a damn volcano. "WHAT? JUST BECAUSE I DON'T DATE SOME WEIRDO YOU WANT ME TO MARRY THIS STRANGER WHO SOUNDS LIKE A LOSER? ARE YOU GUYS _THAT_ DESPERATE TO GET RID OF ME? WELL GUESS WHAT? I DON'T LIVE HERE ANYMORE. IN FACT I'M GONNA GET OUT OF YOUR HOUSE RIGHT NOW!" both my parents looked at me like I was freaking medusa and they had turned into statues. I stomped my feet and went up to my room to pack up my stuff to leave once and for all.

As soon as I was inside my childhood room, the waterworks began. This is what happened when I became angry. Now I was livid with my parents for trying to make my life's decisions for me. However, alone in my room, the anger slowly subsided and sadness took hold of me.

I knew I wasn't pretty or that I would never get a fairytale wedding. But was it too much to expect that someday someone will take my hands not because he was forced to do so but because he wanted to? Apparently, it was! When your parents think you are gonna need an _arranged_ marriage that means you're totally worthless.

And this guy… I didn't even know his name… he must have some defect… like being blind or mute or _fucking _impotent (pun intended)! Otherwise why wouldn't he get a girl for himself? According to Charlie, he was brought up in England. So he must be a British snob! (**A/N: Not intended as an insult to British people.**)

I broke into fresh tears just thinking about my miserable self. After a few minutes there was a timid knock on my door- Charlie- Renee _never_ knocked. I slowly wiped my tear-stained cheeks and sat up as Charlie peeked through the door.

**A/N: Good news for you guys, the chapters are gonna get longer from now on. And you're gonna get a glimpse of someone I'm sure you're dying to meet. Any guesses who will it be? ;-) **


	4. Chapter 4: Resigned Acceptance

**Disclaimer: No copyrights infringement intended. I don't own Twilight saga or any of its awesome characters.**

**A/N: I would like to thank everyone who has favorited, put on alert and just read OTC. A very hearty thanks to sujari6, cbmorefie, Mandita 93, Mireads, alc1002, shea1223 and Meyer-Madness for reviewing. You guys made me smile. :-)**

**This chapter contains someone I'm sure you've all been eager to meet... so... Enjoy! ;-)**

**Chapter-4: Resigned Acceptance**

"Umm… Bells?", Charlie calls softly from the doorway.

I don't look up at him. I can't face the pitiful look I was gonna see in my dad's face. Instead I ask in a low voice, "Is he blind? Has cancer? Is he Bald? Or is defective in any other way?"

My question seems to confuse him. He asks, "What are you talking about? Edward's perfectly healthy. He is a doctor himself so I'm sure he takes care of his health."

This eggs me on even more. I petulantly continue, "Then what the hell is his _problem_? C'mon Dad, he must have some sort of defect. Just his name sounds so old-fashioned. And, a doctor you say? So is he really old or something?" I know to make Charlie happy to give my hand to- a guy has to be established at the least. And as far as I've seen most established doctors are of thirty plus age.

However, Charlie doesn't seem to get my rational response. In fact he looks amused at my line of questioning and says, "No, Bells. He was named after his grandfather. His name may be old-fashioned but he is modern. Trust me on this one, Kid. As for his age, he's only about two years older than you. So, I guess you can't call him old, per se."

I glare at my dad and reply venomously, "What the hell do you mean by _modern_? Is he gay or a man-whore or some shit?" I've never used such language with my father before but I was too far gone to care at this point.

Charlie looked shocked at my outburst for a moment before chuckling through his reply, "Nope. As far as I know he's straight. As for the _other_ incrimination, I ran a background check on him. Clean as a whistle. According to Carlisle, who knows from his friends and colleagues, Edward is quite shy. He likes to keep to himself and has only had one serious girlfriend. That was in high school. The girl did a number on him and from then on he has just concentrated on his studies… That's all I know."

Now I decide to try a different route to soften my dad. I look up at him with pleading puppy dog eyes and say softly, "Dad, do you really want _this_ for me? You want me to marry a complete stranger and leave my career at Seattle and move back here in Forks? Why did you even go to suggest them with this… _proposal_?"

Charlie gives me a soft smile and says, "No worries, Kid. I know you hate this town. We don't want you to feel trapped in here. You are a brilliant person, Bells and you deserve the chance to grow the fullest to your abilities. Edward works at Seattle. So, you will not have to move back here… just pack your stuff up and move in to his house. Oh… and just to clarify, _I_ did not approach _them_. It was_ Carlisle_ who asked _me_ about you. He and Esme, his wife, have always loved you as if you were a part of their family, Bells."

Well, that made the good doctor and his wife rather lovely people. However I was still trying to find a loophole and continued to whine, "But, Dad, what makes you think that this… _Edward_… even wants to marry me? May be he has some secret girlfriend or something. How can _you_, who would not let me go to _high school prom_ with a guy, allow a complete stranger into my life?" I was at my last straw. If _this_ didn't work I don't know what will.

Dad slowly strokes my hair and replies, "Bells, before even broaching this subject with you I confirmed with Carlisle that Edward was on board with it. Do you think that if he had a girlfriend he'd agree to this marriage?" When I don't say anything he continues, "I've personally met the boy last week, Kid. And I don't think even if you waited for five more years you'd find someone better. He's a good guy. He's everything I would have wanted my own son to be. He has an honest look about him which has made me trust him. I'm not asking you to trust him _yet_, all I'm asking is for you to trust your old man."

To Charlie's request I had no reply, no snarky come-backs. So I stiffly nodded, resigning my future on the hands of fate and said with a sigh, "Okay, Dad. You win. I will meet his family tonight and yes, I will marry him. Because I love you guys and trust you to know what's best for me. I just hope I don't regret this decision in the future."

Charlie hugged me and thanked me softly before leaving me alone and completely resigned.

What was in my future? _Some_ guy- a Dr. Edward Cullen- apparently!

**-OTC-**

**_Meanwhile… in Seattle… Dr. Edward Cullen sat at his penthouse frowning at the ringing cell phone clutched in his hand…_**

**EPOV**

As soon as I heard the ringing I instantly knew what this call was about. It was about _her_. I still could not believe that I had agreed to this madness. I know that I was distracted and worried about my possible work prospect as the new resident neurosurgeon at Seattle Grace when my family asked me for my decision but that doesn't mean I could take it back now.

_Damn! It seemed like a good idea then. I mean I _know_ that I am not interested in dating so an arrangement seemed like the solution. Cullen, if you fuck it up you have to answer to your parents as well as _her_ family… did you think of that before agreeing, Jackass?_ No matter how much I chastise myself I have no way of backing out now.

When dad asked me to join him in his study to meet his friend a few weeks back I didn't think it will lead to _this_! I mean… sure, the guy is decent and somewhat quiet…but he's the Chief of Police for crying out loud! I could already imagine what his daughter would be like.

It's not hard to guess. I mean, in between being a cop's daughter and an only child, I could easily see her as a pompous brat. Even her name… _Isabella_… it made her sound like a freaking movie star or something! Yup… definitely spoiled!

The continuous ringing of my phone brought me out of my reverie. Alice. I loved my baby sister, don't get me wrong, but she can be such a pest!

I sighed and answered, "Hey Alice! Don't you have dad's credit card to burn a hole into or something?" Her tinkling laughter was followed by her amused answer, "Hello to you too, big brother! And for your information, I have my own credit card now. So, the responsibility of burning Dad's card now is completely Mom's. By the way, we are on our way to meet the one who's gonna punch a hole in _your_ card, brother dear!" She finished in one breath before stopping.

_What?_ I couldn't for the life of me understand the kid! So I bit the bullet and ask, "Umm…Alice… What are you talking about?" Queue the laughter and then the actual answer, "You are so silly, Ed. I don't understand how you got distinction from Oxford with that brain of yours! What I meant was… we, as in Mom, Dad and I, are going to meet Isabella Swan… your future wife. Understood?"

I huffed at her and reply curtly, "Allie, if you had brains like mine then you would at least spend _some_ of your time _out_ of your closet! Anyway, why are you guys going there? If she's not interested then don't try to convince her otherwise. And don't call her my… _wife_! You don't even know if she wants this thing or not." I could not hide my hopeful tone from my surprisingly perceptive sister.

"Oh! No, Brother! Don't sound so hopeful. Her mother just called Mom and confirmed her answer. So don't think we're _intruding_ or anything. They _invited_ us. I just called to brag that we're all gonna meet your bride-to-be before you do." I could almost hear her snicker.

"That's _fucking_ awesome!" I huffed yet again. _Way to be grumpy, Edward!_ Then I quietly add, "Allie?" Alice sobered right up at my tone, "What is it, Edward?" I take some time to figure out my request.

"Can you do something for me, Allie? Can you just ask her if she truly wants this or not? I just need to know that… _Isabella_ is not being forced into this. Please, Allie?" When Alice remains silent I pleaded with her once more. "I know you are very excited about having a sister and all. But I cannot go to the altar and pledge myself to her without knowing if she wants it or not."

After another long silence Alice said slowly, "Okay, Edward, I'll do this for you. Though I have a _feeling_ that she's gonna be the best thing to have ever happened to you, especially after that _skank_- Tanya. But I'll do it for you… for _both_ of you."

I repressed the shudder of hatred that passed through me at the mention of Tanya and said in a relieved tone, "Thanks, Alice. You are the best little sister. You know that, right?" This time it was Alice who huffed dramatically and replied, "Of course, I know. Who else can even come close to my awesomeness?" I had to smile at her joke.

After a few more minutes of small talk, Alice hung up to get ready. I dropped my cell phone to the bed side cabinet and sat cradling my head in my hands.

After the Tanya incident in high school my ego took quite a bruising. I had avoided girls as the bubonic plague since then. I had planned to keep it that way but it seemed as if fate had something else in store for me.

I sighed in my hands and resigned to my fate. Then I made a resolve. I _would_ do this for my family. If a wife is what I can give to make them happy then so be it. I just hoped Isabella Swan would not turn out to be the brat I was making her out to be!

**A/N: So, what do you guys think? Leave me your thoughts in form of reviews, please? They make my day... truly. Thanks for reading!**


	5. Chapter 5: Meet the In-Laws

**Disclaimer: No copyrights infringement intended. I don't own Twilight saga or any of its awesome characters.**

**A/N: The last chapter had many reviewers complaining about the fact that E/B is not meeting before their families. It's just something new I tried. Just like jansails said in her review, E/B are both career-oriented people. Bella doesn't believe that finding true love is possible since she had never even had a boyfriend before. As for Edward, he's recently uprooted his life from England and is now focusing on making his career in the US. He was not really looking for a date. Their parents thought that they might need someone to share their lives with. So, they made an arrangement to get them married. In this way, E/B won't need to date someone just for the sake of it and they'll have someone to share their lives with. I just ask you to have a little faith. It'll all sort itself out, I promise!**

**On a happy note, OTC has now had over 3K hits! So, thank you to all who have read, reviewed, favorited and put OTC on alert! You guys made me smile when I was literally cracking open rats' skulls to get a look at their brains... and before you think I'm crazy, it's for my research project on anti-psychotic drugs... so in that way I turn rats crazy! :-P**

**I'm going to shut up after saying one thing... Enjoy! :-D**

**Chapter-5: Meet the In-Laws**

I don't know the exact point at which I fell asleep. Hell, I don't even know if I had fallen asleep or simply passed out from all the turbulent emotions and stress. But suddenly Renee's soft voice was calling me back to the land of living. I slowly opened my eyes and saw it was already dark outside.

Finally I tuned in to my mother's words, "Bella? Baby? Can you get up? I need you to wash up and get dressed. Do you need me to help you with your makeup?"

I was still feeling bitter and so gave her a stink eye before saying, "Mom, why on earth will I put on makeup? They are coming to meet me, right?" When she nodded I continued, "Then I'm gonna give them a chance to see the _real_ me- without a fake layer of plaster smearing my face."

My mom being the dumbest person on the face of earth didn't get my heavy sarcasm and replied, "But honey, don't you want to look nice when you meet your future in-laws?" This time I decided to forgo the sarcasm and simply said, "No, Mom, do you think I'm gonna wear makeup every time they see me in the future? They should see my _albino-self_ before…"_ yeah… I am a sarcastic bitch so I can't let go of the sarcasm for too long_… however, I couldn't bring myself to use the M-word yet so I continued, "… umm… before _it_ happens?"

Again, Renee Swan didn't catch the point and stated the obvious, "Oh, honey! You are not an albino! Don't let any mean girls at work get to you. Anyway get ready because they'll be here within an hour." With that she left and I heaved a sigh. _So much for my sarcastic self!_

It was times like these I really missed my best friend, Rosalie. She was the only one bright enough (or bitchy enough… depending on how you look) to get my sarcasms. Then out of the blue a thought crossed my mind... _I wonder if Edward will get my sarcasm!_ The very next minute I flipped out for thinking about _him_. I mean, it wasn't like I was gonna have lengthy conversations with _him_! He was just gonna be my new housemate.

I shook thoughts of the shadowy figure I was envisioning Edward as and hopped quickly in the shower. Then I changed to a forest-green T-shirt and a pair of black jeans and I was ready. _If they truly wanted me then they will have to make do with the _real_ me_. I dried my hair and pulled it in a high ponytail as was my usual style.

Just as I had put down the hair brush, the door bell rang. _Looks like the in-laws are in the house!_ Soon enough I heard my mom calling for me. _Damn, I hadn't had the time to properly hyperventilate yet_! Telling myself to calm down I went to meet the family of Edward Cullen- _public enemy number one… at least for now_.

As I walked down the stairs, I heard my dad laughing and talking loudly. That was weird! I had never heard him talk so… freely to anyone who wasn't Billy. Charlie was shy of social interactions just like me. _That's interesting… may be Dr. Cullen _(Carlisle Cullen… not what's-his-face Cullen)was_ a good friend of his after all_. As soon as the thought crossed my mind my subconscious decided to join my inner monologue… _That's why they want a loser like you, dumbass!_ I guess my subconscious is kinda bitchy as well.

Just as I stepped on the landing all conversations stopped and five pairs of eyes were all focused on me. _Great! Here's to all the attentions dedicated to the bride!_

I tried to rein-in my inner sarcastic bitch and looked up at the visitors. I felt the instant heat of my blush covering my cheeks from all the staring. Before I could convince myself to turn around and run for the hills I met my dad's eyes. He gave me a half-smile, trying to encourage me to fully enter the living room. However, beside him my mom was gaping at me. I was sure she had some issues with my choice of wardrobe but honestly, what did she expect me to wear? A freaking cocktail dress with stilettos or something?

I decided to ignore my mom for now and turned my attention to the three strangers. The man looked about same age as dad. He had short blond hair and blue eyes. Though he was good looking, I hoped _Edward_ wasn't blond! I am not a racist or anything but blond guys were the dumbest!** (A/N: Not intended as an insult to anyone with blond hair.)** I am just speaking from first hand experiences with one Jasper Hale!

Beside the man was a very pretty woman who had the kindest of faces. She had reddish hair which seemed to have slight brown in it and forest-green eyes.

Finally I focused on the third person- _the sister_- I figured. She looked to be a few years younger than me and was one of the most beautiful women I'd even seen- aside from Rose of course. She looked quite shorter than me. She had short jet black hair which was artfully spiked, hazel eyes and a _huge_ smile plastered on her face.

What caught me off guard was how pretty they all were. If the Gods of genetics favored then it looked like I was gonna marry a pretty boy! I just hoped he wasn't blond!

After several moments of staring back and forth, Mom was the first one to break the silence. She jumped off her seat and took my hand saying, "Come, Sweetie, meet our friends. That's Carlisle… Edward's father…" she gestured with her hand and Dr. Cullen gave me a kind smile. After I smiled back politely he asked, "How are you, Isabella? It's nice to see you outside of hospital or more specifically the ER."

I could _not_ let that pass and replied with a petulant tone, "I'm fine, Dr. Cullen. But if you come to Seattle, I'll show you how well I fare _inside_ a hospital _now_, even in the_ ER_." He laughed at that and I smiled already liking the dad. _Finally…someone with a sense of humor!_

Mom then looked at the woman in the middle and continued with the introductions, "That's Esme, Carlisle's wife, Edward's mother and my best friend. She's an interior designer." Hearing the part about the _best friend_ shocked me. Esme did _not_ look like she had anything common with Renee. Don't get me wrong. I love my mom but Esme… she looked like the epitome of how a perfect, loving and caring mom should be!

Esme seemed to sense the line of my thoughts and smiled, "Isabella, your mother and I have been best friends since middle school. We were there for each other when a person most needs a friend. Friendships like that are far more important than common interests. It is so good to see you after all these years, dear." I instantly liked her. Honestly, how could you _not_ love such a caring person? Esme's words made me think of my friendship with Rose. We were polar opposites on the outsides but on the inside we were thicker than twins.

Before mom could make the final introduction, the sister, who looked like she was about to burst from suppressed energy, jumped to her feet and wrapped me up in a tight hug! Then she was talking at the speed of about 100miles per hour, "Hi, Isabella! I'm Alice, Edward's sister and your future sister! We are gonna have so much fun together!" She seemed to be unaware of the fact that she was choking me.

I gasped, "Hi, Alice! I can't breathe, Alice!" She immediately released me from the choke-hold but kept hanging on to my arm and said, "Oh! I am so sorry! I tend to get hyperactive sometimes." _I bet that _sometimes _happens a lot!_ However, in Alice's defense she _did_ look sorry. I couldn't stand her sad puppy face and hugged her back saying, "It's nice to meet you, Alice." She squealed and beamed at me.

So far, I liked the father, adored the mother and had a hunch that I was going to become good friends with the sister, I just hoped the guy… _Edward_… was even tolerable. _That's not too much to ask, right?_

As we sat down to our pizza dinner with the Cullens, sans the important one, I saw two families bonding. Dad looked really happy to see his friend back after all these years._ I hope he replaces Billy with Carlisle. Then I'll _never_ have to see that _dog_, Jacob, ever again._

I shook my head to get the traitor out of my head and looked on. Renee, Esme and Alice were talking excitedly about wedding gowns, bridesmaids, hair-dos, color schemes and what not. They looked like three kids trapped inside Disneyland for the whole weekend!

I smiled thinking how happy a simple 'Yes' from me has made all these people. Suddenly Alice looked up at me and smiled evilly. _Oh-o… I do not like the look on that girl's face!_ It looked like I was in trouble.

**A/N: Sorry for the long-ass A/N on the top but I felt it was necessary to explain where I was going with this story. But I promise I won't leave such huge author's notes often.**

**Thank you for reading. It means a great deal to me to read that you think so... leave a review, please?**


	6. Chapter 6: Pixie Inquisition

**Disclaimer: No copyrights infringement intended. I don't own Twilight saga or any of its awesome characters.**

**A/N: I wouldn't bore you guys with too much yapping. I just wanna thank everyone who has reviewed, favorited, put on alert and simply... read OTC. Your support means a lot to me. So... enjoy Chapter-6! :-)**

**Chapter-6: Pixie Inquisition**

After dinner everyone went back to the living room with drinks in hands and as I made to follow, Alice grabbed my arm. I looked back at her and asked, "What is it, Alice?" Alice gave me a _too_ innocent smile- making me feel the invisible short horns and pointed tail- and said, "I have _so_ much to talk to you about! Can we go up to your room for some time? So that we won't be overheard by our parents…" I narrowed my eyes but immediately chastised myself for suspecting her without any reasons. So I nodded in assent and led the way to my room all the while trying to remember if I left a huge mess there or not.

Once inside, I sighed with relief because the room was not _that_ messy. I mean my room in Seattle is _way_ messier than this. I offered Alice the bean bag and sat on the bed. However, Alice didn't take a seat. Instead she looked around the room making me feel self-conscious then beamed at me before crossing the room to sit on the bed, facing me.

First Alice didn't say anything. She just had an amused look on her face all the while taking in every smallest details of my room. When I couldn't handle the silence I had to ask her, "What's so funny, Alice? This room here shows _me_…just the way I am. That's what you guys wanted to see when you came to meet me, right?"

Alice sobered up instantly and shook her head vehemently while saying, "No, no, Isabella. I was smiling because you haven't even met Edward yet but you two are so much alike. Oh, by the way, call me _Allie; Alice_ was my grandma."

I was taken aback by her way of thinking. _Damn! Here I was thinking we could be friends! But why does she think _us_ alike?_ My mind was screaming at the top of its voice and I was agreeing with it. I mean it wasn't like I looked like a guy or anything. I may not flaunt it but I did have the necessary curves at the right places!

Before I could voice my shock Alice seemed to catch on my line of thinking and started to shake her head again._ If she keeps doing that a bit faster she'd make a quite pretty bobble head! _ It seemed like my bitchy side was trying to emerge.

She was however interrupted by Alice's quick reply, "Oh God! Isabella I'm so sorry I didn't make myself clearer. What I meant was that your sense of humor, shyness and choice of music- all of it- match Edward perfectly. It's like you were made especially just for my brother! Don't you think for one second that you aren't pretty because you are! You are one of the prettiest girls I've met and you two will make the cutest couple _ever_!"

"Hey, breathe, Alice!" I decided to step in to give her a breather, offering her a half smile, "You know, _Allie_, I prefer to have my _friends_ call me _Bella_." I know I chose to ignore her rant about being the perfect match for _Edward Cullen_ and being part of the _cutest couple ever_ but I honestly didn't know what to say about it. _And you're also a coward!_ My subconscious snapped at me. But I didn't have to worry about it because Alice seemed to forget about my deliberate diversion already. Instead she gave another squeal and hugged me again saying, "OMG! I just _knew_ it! We're gonna be best friends!" I know I had Rosalie as my best friend but figured it would be nice to have another girlfriend. So I hugged her back without raining on her parade.

Alice let me go and then looked at me nervously. I guessed it was time to find out what she wanted to talk about. But her uncomfortable expression told me one thing- whatever it was, it was _bad_!

"Bella, Edward wants me to talk to you on his behalf before we go ahead with the wedding…" Alice started.

However, I had to get _my_ answers before giving any answers myself so I interrupted her, "Alice, I'm not trying to offend you or your brother. But I _have_ to ask… what is _wrong_ with him? I mean as far as I've heard he's a doctor, from quite well-to-do family, young, and by judging your parents and yourself, he should be fairly good-looking as well. So why couldn't _he_ find a girl for himself? Why would he want an _arranged marriage_? Is he like…_gay_, or something? Is that why your parents want him to get married so that no one suspects him of it?" I finished, out of breath.

By this time Alice was openly giggling. After a few minutes she controlled herself enough to say, "No, Bella, my brother is _totally_ straight. He's just had a real bad experience with dating in the past." Her face turned into a mask of anger as she continued, "See, there was this one girl he went out with for about two months when he caught her cheating on him. I'll not go into details because it's not my story to tell. But know this, we all _hated_ that _bitch_. She might have been good looking but had a heart of _frigging_ stone. You do _not_ need to feel threatened by her. _We_… as in my parents and me, already love you. You are hundred times prettier than she could ever dream to be. And trust me, on your wedding day; one week from now, when my brother finally sees you, he'll not know what hit him! He'll _adore_ you, Bella."

When she stopped to take a breath I felt tears stinging my eyes. _Damn that girl could be sweet when not trying!_ I said in a shaky voice, "I don't know about your brother, Allie. But I do like the rest of you guys a lot. I'm glad that I'll have you as my new family." Alice got teary eyed as well and hugged me yet again.

A few minutes later she took my hand and said in a quiet voice, "Bella, my brother is a good guy. He may come across as arrogant to outsiders but in reality he's just shy. He's never dated anyone else because he was afraid to get hurt again. It was a blow to his ego. Don't think he still has feelings for _her_ or anything. I can promise to you that he'll be a complete gentleman to you. Just don't hurt him." I didn't know what to say to her after that so I just nodded. Because frankly the idea of me- non-dater, never been kissed properly, virgin Bella- hurting a guy was practically laughable.

Suddenly Alice seemed to snap out of her somber mood and went all business-like asking, "Well, Bella, you got your answers. Now can I go ahead with my questions?" I nodded because other questions I had I would have to ask _him_ personally. _Yea, Doofus, like he's gonna tell you why his ex cheated on him!_ I shook off my inner bitch and got ready to face the pixie version of Spanish Inquisition.

Taking a deep breath Alice started, "Okay! Edward was wondering if you have a boyfriend or anything. Basically, I think he just doesn't get how a _total babe_ like you would agree to an arranged marriage. You are not being forced into it or anything, right?" From her expression I could tell she was holding her breath to hear my reply.

I shook my head slowly and reply her quietly, "No, Alice, I don't have a boyfriend and _believe_ me, I am _not_ the one who can be forced into anything, let alone something like marriage. I said _yes_ because, I've decided to trust my dad. I know how fiercely protective he is of me. So if he deems your brother worthy of his trust then I guess I can give him a chance as well. Actually, I've never even had a boyfriend and by now I've outgrown my regency romance fantasy world. I've pretty much given up on falling in love because it doesn't happen to most people. So in that case an arranged marriage is my best shot I guess."

Alice looked amused by my rambling and gave me a smile that said she had a secret that she was not gonna share with me. As I caught my breath after my rant, she said quietly, "I don't think love is out of the equation for you just _yet_, Bella." I frowned at that. _What does the girl think is going to happen? I'll meet her brother and just magically fall in love with him? Yeah! Not gonna happen, Dude!_ That reminded me of another thing I wanted to clear up, "Alice, I need you to pass on a request from me to Edward. Can you please do it? And don't tell your parents about it."

She just raised her eyebrow and nodded for me to continue. I had made up my mind. It was a fair request. So I continued before I could chicken out, "Look, Alice, I'm sure Edward is a great guy but he's a stranger to me. I know we won't be strangers for long but I don't think I'll feel comfortable sharing a… _room_ with a guy I didn't even know existed before this morning. So, all I ask for is a separate room." Alice started to open her mouth but I stopped her, "It's just for now. I'm sure once we get comfortable around each other, we can… _re-evaluate_ the arrangement. Please, _Allie_, try to place yourself in my shoes and think of what would you want." I tried to imitate the sad puppy look she had given me a few minutes ago.

It seemed to work on her. Either that or hearing me call her _Allie_, softened her and she said, "Okay, Bella. If that's what you want but believe me you two are like _custom-made_ for each other. You'll see." I scoffed but she paid me no attention and went on to her next point, "So, bridesmaids? Do you want me to be one?" Even though she looked all business but I could detect the hope in her voice.

However, as my best friend the first right belonged to Rose. I couldn't deny this to her. So I said, "Well, I guess I'm gonna need _two_ bridesmaids. You and my friend, Rosalie." Alice squealed at this. _Seriously what's with the squealing?_ When she managed to calm down she rushed on, "Oh! Bella, it's gonna be the most perfect wedding. We're going to pick you and Renee up tomorrow morning. Then we'll go for dress shopping, alright?" _Whoa! Wedding Nazi alert!_

I had to stop her before she went overboard so I quickly said, "Listen, Allie, I'd _really_ love to go but I have work on Monday so…" Alice smiled and stopped my escape planning by saying, "That's why we're going to Seattle for shopping, Silly! Renee already told us about your aversion to shopping. So, while you stay at Seattle and work, we're gonna take care of _everything_. Tomorrow we'll meet your friend and then shop for our dresses. After _the_ dress is taken care of we'll drop you off to your place and the rest will be taken care of from Forks and Port Angeles. Now, do you have any theme planned or want anything special?" I gave an unladylike snort of laughter at her question.

When she frowned, I quickly explained, "Allie, before today marriage wasn't even in the radar for me, you know? It was something I knew I'd have to go through someday but I never really thought about it. So, do what you see fit, ok?" Alice nodded and then gasped, "Oh! Bella, I almost forgot. Edward asked me to apologize to you because there's not going to be a honeymoon right away. You see he starts a new job next Monday so he can't take time off now. But he promises that he'll take you on a honeymoon once he gets settled in."

I stared at her for a few seconds before bursting into laughter. When I managed to control myself I said, "Alice, honestly, I don't even _know_ the guy. What are we going to do on a honeymoon? Play checkers?" Alice joined in my humor then, setting me off again. After a few minutes I stopped to breathe and added, "Tell him not to worry about it. I don't want a honeymoon right away. So he's excused."

Alice nodded and then looking at the time said in an unmistakably sad voice, "Well, I guess it's time to leave now. I love you already, Bella. You're gonna be the best sister ever!" I smile at her and give her a hug _willingly,_ saying, "I don't know about me, but you really are a good sister, Allie, to both Edward and to me. Thank you."

When we join others downstairs Carlisle and Esme are standing by the door exchanging goodbyes with my parents. They both smiled at me and Esme pulled me in a gentle hug. Alice waved at me from the doorstep saying, "I'll see you bright and early tomorrow, Bella."

After the Cullens left, I faced my parents and gave them a slight nod to show that I was okay. And I _was_ okay. I liked the parents. I loved the sister- weirdly enough. The only thought nagging at me was just how Dr. Edward Cullen was going to turn out to be.

**A/N: So... that was chapter-6. Thoughts? Please leave me your thoughts in reviews they make me wanna type faster just to hear from you guys.**

**Take care! :-)**


	7. Chapter 7: Emergency Best Friend News Al

**Disclaimer: No copyrights infringement intended. I don't own Twilight saga or any of its awesome characters. Nor do I own Matt Bomer... unfortunately... :-(**

**A/N: Thanks to everyone who has reviewed, favorited, put on alert or simply... read OTC. You guys make my days a little bit brighter. Thank you. Now you get to meet one of my favorite characters in OTC! ;-)**

** Enjoy Chapter-7 and I'll see you at the end of this chapter! :-)**

**Chapter-7: Emergency Best Friend News Alert**

**BPOV**

As I was about to slip into bed for the night, realization hit me. If we were to go shopping tomorrow morning then I had to tell Rose about all this shit… _Tonight!_

"_Damn it all! Rose is gonna be MAD! She'd have my head for agreeing to such an arrangement without giving it much thought"_; was my first thought. I was about to put down my cell phone when my heart said, "_She deserves to know. She has always been there for you. Rose is not just your best friend, she's your sister from another mother and you know you'd suffocate trying to keep it all in yourself. You simply _cannot_ keep something like from Rosalie._"

My bitchy conscience was right. So trembling in fear of **Rosalie Hale Hailstorm** I dialed my best friend's number. I knew she'd be home tonight because Jasper said he was gonna hangout with his geeky friends and Rose doesn't bar-hop alone. I mentally schooled myself about how to broach the subject.

However, the moment Rose picked up the phone I had forgotten my carefully prepared statement. Instead I started lamely, "Hey Rose, you home?"

She sounded like she was slightly sleepy as she answered, "Bells? Yeah, I'm home. Watching re-runs of White Collar."

I couldn't figure out what to say and went with the first thing that popped in my head, "Oh! Great! Too bad Matt Bomer is gay, huh?" **(A/N: Not intended as an insult to homosexual people. I still love Matt! ;-))**_ Damn! I just amped up the lameness!_ Being the close friend that she is Rose caught on with my crazy.

Her tone went from sleepy to serious and completely alert within seconds as she asked sternly, "Okay, Bella, what's up? I _know_ you didn't call me to talk about Matt Bomer's sexual orientation, who by the way is _still_ a super hot eye-candy, gay or otherwise. Why are you shitting yourself for talking to me? Wait, did you hook up with that _dog_, Jacob, when you got there? C'mon dude, you deserve W-A-Y better than that stupid lying piece of shit!"

Ah! There it was! The start of the Halestorm! I relaxed immediately. Because marrying a doctor would be the lesser evil to Rose if she's worried about me hooking up with Jake _fucking_ Black of all people! I quickly categorized what to reply to her and started with my news breaking, "Rose! Breath! Firstly, it's _not_ and _never_ gonna be Jacob. Ew. You know I have better taste! Secondly, _dude_? Seriously? You are hanging out with Jazz way too much. Thirdly, I did not _hook up_ with anyone. Not in literal sense anyway. More like… _hitched_?" The last part came out as a question.

I waited for her to catch my hidden phrasing. Then she gasped and said, "Wait, _hitched_? That's what the urgent phone calls were for? Charlie and Renee want you to get married?" I was shocked at the absence of cursing and yelling in her voice and mumbled in reply, "Well… yeah…"

Rose gave a small peal of laughter and said in an amused tone, "Tell them that in order to get married you need a _groom_. And you are not even dating anyone right now! Duh! That's why you are so scared, Izzie? You are such a _chicken_!"

She knew me too well. I _was_ a chicken. So instead of making the situation clearer to her I diverted the conversation saying, "Izzie? Is that my nickname right now?"

"Yup", she replied, popping the 'P' and then continued, "But you didn't answer my question. What is it that you are scared of? Surely you would have come up with that argument by yourself."

I mentally prepared myself to endure her second round of fury and stammered the answer, "Rose, see… the thing is… they already kind of have a guy. It's sort of an… arranged thing." And then all hell broke lose…

"WHAT! ARE YOU CRAZY? ARE YOUR PARENTS CRAZY? WHO THE FUCK IS THIS STIFF? YOU ARE _NOT_ A LOSER, ISABELLA MARIE!"

Just as she stopped to draw breath I quickly ploughed on to shut her up, "Hey! What are you middle naming me for, Rosalie Lilian? You know, I'm not Rosalie Hale. So by the time I find someone, which I won't, I'll be like 40… at the least."

My answer calmed her down a _bit_ and she sadly replied in a much more tolerable decibel, "You don't see yourself clearly, you know. Anyway, tell me _everything_ about the lucky bastard! NOW!"

I tried to cool her off some more by saying, "Calm down, Rose. I don't know a lot myself. He's 25, a doctor. Born in Forks but grew up in England. Super good looking family. Only had one girlfriend, who apparently cheated on him. That's the reason he doesn't date anymore. Oh… and… the wedding's on next Saturday."

Rose was silent for a few minutes, processing it all. The she spoke, "Well, he doesn't sound like a total jerk, _yet_. But what's the rush with the wedding? Where does he stay? Oh God! Are you gonna have to move to _England_?" I shook my head at her stupidity and tried to soothe her worries.

"Hey, Hale! Relax, will ya? He lives in Seattle. So I'm not gonna be out of your hair that easily. And Alice, his sister, said he's about to start a new job on next Monday. So he wants to get it all done and over with before starting."

Rose finally breathed in relief and said, "O-kay. What about the wedding arrangements? There are a _lot_ of preparations in a wedding."

I snorted at her question and snarked, "Yeah, no shit, Sherlock! Our families are gonna go through all the arrangement stuff. Tomorrow, we're gonna go to Seattle. You'll get a chance to meet his mom and sister. Then we'll go dress-shopping." Then I added softly, "Rose? I know you're mad. But will you still be my Maid of Honor? Please, Rose?"

Rose cleared her throat and then said, "Urgh! _Of course_ I'm mad. My best friend leaves me for a day and suddenly she's engaged or betrothed, I guess, to some mystery doctor. And I'm short one roommate now! But that doesn't mean I'll give up my _right_! I'm gonna be your Maid of Honor. Fucking try and stop me if you dare!"

I gave a choked laugh and said softly, "I love you, Rose. You are the sister God forgot to give me."

Rose's voice told me she was getting a bit teary eyed herself when she said, "Ya, yea, I know. I am your evil-twin. Now shut up and go to beddy-bye land. You're interrupting my date with Neal Caffrey. See ya tomorrow."

I was about to disconnect when she called my name. I put the phone back to my ear and heard her soft yet concerned voice, "Izzie, are you okay with this? If you're not 100 percent sure about it don't go through with it. I'll handle your parents if I have to."

I sighed before answering, "I'm… well, I'm sort of numb right now. But given the fact that I'm already 23 and yet to have _one_ boyfriend and don't have much time to go on dates, I guess it's not that bad of a deal. Besides, if anything goes bad I can blame my parents for it." I ended my speech with my attempt at a lame joke.

Rose whispered a soft '_okay_' before wishing me sweet dreams and hanging up.

Finally feeling weightless and free of any thoughts, I drifted off to sleep.

**EPOV**

_"Again with the bloody ringing!"_, I mentally cursed modern technology as I dragged my feet to the living room where I had left my stupid cell phone. I was dog tired what with moving shit all day. Thank god I had Emmett to help me out; otherwise I would have seriously injured my spine. As the ringing continued, I considered letting the call go to voice mail, for a second. Then I remembered that Allie was supposed to call after meeting _her_.

So I took the call and grunted a hello to my little sister.

"_God! Ed! You're _sooo_ grumpy!_", a typical Alice hello for me.

"Well, I have sunshine as my little sister. So I guess we balance each other out." My answer earned me a peal of tinkling laughter from Alice. Then she continued in a happy voice…

"_Oh, Ed! She's so pretty! We all love her already! You two are gonna be _perfect_ for each other. She's smart, intelligent and has a good sense of humor. She knows all about the arrangement and has agreed to marry your grumpy ass all by herself without being forced. We're going to shop for the wedding dress tomorrow! I can hardly wait to call her my _sister_!_" Finally, as she stopped to take a breath I decided to go for the key question.

"Allie, is she vain? You know like… Tanya?" I _had_ to ask this. I didn't care if she looked like a fucking troll but I _did not_ want a vain wife.

"_No, silly, trust me. Once you get to know her, you're gonna _adore_ her._" I could practically see her shaking her head at my stupid question. But then her tone became somber as she continued, "However,_ Ed, there's a catch._"

"What? Is she blond or gay or something?" I panicked at her serious manner. I don't know about the blond part though… I guess Tanya has put me on edge from anyone blond!

"_SERIOUSLY! STOP WITH THE FREAKING GAY QUESTION! YOU'RE BOTH SINGLE, GOOD LOOKING AND BOTH STRAIGHT PEOPLE! GOT IT? IF ANYONE ASKS ME THE SAME THING ONE MORE TIME I'M GONNA SLAUGHTER THEM!_" Alice just erupted like molten lava! I guess Isabella also had similar question about me! I tried to resist the urge to laugh at that thought and tried to calm my hyper sister.

"Allie, calm down. Ignore me. What was the catch you were talking about?" She took a few deep breaths and when she answered me her voice was serious sans the yelling.

"_Well, she wants a separate bedroom… _for now_. The thing is, since you two don't know each other, she's uncomfortable in sharing her personal space… _yet." As I heard her stress the part indicating this as a temporary issue, I relaxed.

"That's it? Allie, I've already started preparing one of the guest bedrooms for her. Tell her not to worry about it." I grinned at my brilliant foresight!

"_Wow! My big bro is so sensitive! Yeah… that's about it. Mom and I are coming to Seattle tomorrow. After dropping Isabella off at her place we'll visit you. Mom's gonna come back with Renee and I'll stay till Monday to help you out with decorating her room and closet, okay? Oh! And Ed… she's _brunette!" "_Thank god, she's not a lousy _Blondie", was my first thought. **(A/N: Not intended as an insult to blond people.)**

"Thanks for this, Allie. See you tomorrow then!" I was scared of her asking me to explain the _blond_ part. But thankfully she let it slide.

"_Bye, Ed. Take care. Love you, bro._"

"Love you too, Allie. Bye."

After disconnecting the call I started to take inventory of the facts I knew about my bride-to-be… or was she my fiancée? It was confusing since I didn't get down on my knee and proposed to her myself…

According to Alice, Isabella Swan was a 23 yrs old, pretty brunette. She's _not_ vain and _not_ gay. And, she wanted her personal bedroom for now. Well, that doesn't sound so scary. Now I had to see her in person to decide if that's all true or not.

Before going to bed I had one more thing to take care of. I had to call my cousin and best friend, Emmett, and let him know his _kid_ brother was getting married and he was the lucky man chosen as the _Best Man_!

When Emmett heard the reason for my calling him, he was furious, with me and with mom. Apparently _we_ had hidden a fact so important from him which might cause a threat to national security! Because according to his _brilliant_ logic, taking my _pretty _self off the market permanently could start a civil war which may in turn, lead to the start of WWIII!

After I successfully convinced him that it was for the best and it's something that would make mom happy he finally decided to be merciful and pardoned us- namely me. 'Cause he'd _never_ have the guts to seek revenge from mom as she's the one who made the _world's best chocolate chip cookies!_

Then Emmett got started on the bachelor party stuff. I stopped him at the beginning by informing him that I will not go to any strip club. He whined, bullied, threatened, and finally begged me saying that strip club was _the_ best part of bachelor party. But there was _no way_ I was going to a strip club… _ever!_

Finally as peace offering, we decided to check out the bar near my new work place on Wednesday night to celebrate the ending of my single days. It offered booze and music for me and plenty of women to hit on for Em. So it was a win-win.

Satisfied with my victory in reigning Emmett in, I went to sleep where faceless brunette women weirdly dressed as protagonists of Jane Austen novels haunted my nightmares!

**A/N: Thanks for reading! To clear up a few things- firstly, many of you had problems with Alice. I tried to preserve the integrities of the characters SM created in my story setting. So yeah, Alice is a bit... okay A LOT exuberant and sometimes bordering on annoying. But she still loves his brother and is looking out for him. As for stopping her- both E & B has lots of issues to get straight. And things need to get bad before they can get better. Trust me. I'm all about HEA.**

**Secondly, I love the Rose in OTC. She's a bit overprotective, loyal and quite confident. So please don't hate on her.**

**Thirdly, OTC has hit 50 reviews and over 6.5K hits! I'm so happy guys! Thank you!**

**Fourthly, now make me happier and review, please?**

**Take Care. :-)**


	8. Chapter 8: Preparations for Doomsday!

**Disclaimer: No copyrights infringement intended. I don't own Twilight saga or any of its awesome characters.**

**A/N: Thanks to everyone who has reviewed, favorited, put on alert or simply... read OTC. You guys make my days a little bit brighter. Thank you. **

**Enjoy Chapter-8 and I'll see you at the end of this chapter! :-)**

**Chapter-8: Preparations for Doomsday!**

The next morning Alice woke me up bright and early, and I mean_ early_; as in 6.45 **a.m.** early! I was shocked and a little scared to see how _chirpy_ she could be in crack of dawn! It was like she was pumped up from consuming 100 _fucking_ Redbulls or some shit. For a non-morning person, namely me, she was like the Anti-Christ to my sleeping beauty!

"_If Aurora had an Alice with her she wouldn't have had to sleep for years waiting for a fucking stranger to kiss her awake!,_" I mentally cursed Alice as well as Charlie for waking up ass-crack of dawn to open the stupid front door for the Nazi.

Because of that awfully early-rising pixie, who didn't seem to grasp the fact that some people liked to sleep-in the only off day they got (_Damn! I'm talking about myself in third person! That's sleep deprivation for me!_), we left for Seattle by 7.30 after a hasty breakfast and grunted goodbyes to Charlie.

After reaching Seattle, I texted Rosalie the address to the bridal stores the Nazi- Trio, namely my mom, Esme and Alice, had found from online browsing- so that she could meet us there directly.

When we reached the first store Rosalie was already standing there holding a Starbucks to-go cup of macchiato for me. _My only true friend in the whole wide world! Maybe I should advise Alice to take some pointers on being a good- or in this case, a sleep supporting- friend from Rose._ However all my inner fist-pumping for Rosalie quickly morphed into chagrin within the first hour of our shopping trip.

The day progressed with Reneé and Esme, the old best friends, exchanging smiles; Alice and Rosalie, the fashion-freaks, chatting happily while leading the group from one store to another; and finally me- following behind the happy people with another cup of macchiato in my hand while cursing under my breath.

After trying out what seemed like a million gowns in six stores, Alice finally announced that we had found _The Dress_. Not being into dresses, all I could say was that it was white, it wasn't too lacey or frilly, it made me feel pretty, it made me look curvy and I loved the feel of the material on my skin as it was non-scratchy. So it was good enough for me.

While Reneé and Esme went to get the dress wrapped up, we found my matching veil and shoes and Alice and Rose's bridesmaids' dresses of Lavender color. When the _proud mothers_ came back after paying they proposed to take us all out for lunch in the little café across the street.

After escaping the bridal horror show, sitting down for lunch felt too good for my tired as hell feet. As I sat down muttering to my sore feet to hold on for a bit longer I looked at my best friend. For some weird reason snarky Rose and bubbly Alice had bonded instantly. I guess fashion sense was a plus point in the book of friendship for both of them!

During lunch we planned the following days up to the wedding; and by _we_, I mean Reneé, Esme, Alice and Rosalie. _Looks like the Nazi- Trio has just had recruited my best friend as the promising Nazi-to-be! Big whoop!_ They sat and discussed me like I wasn't even there!

Anyway in said discussion it was decided that Rose and I will take Thursday and Friday off. We were to leave Seattle on Thursday and Friday will be a spa day where my mother had already invited Mrs. Hale, Rose's mom as well. _The Nazis are expanding faster, Man!_ I felt like pounding my head against the table.

The only thing I demanded to have a say in was that I _would not have a bachelorette party!_ Alice tried to give me her puppy dog eyes while Rose tried to intimidate me into submission but it was Esme who stepped in time to save me by saying that the _bride _would under _no circumstances_ be forced to do anything she didn't approve of. She would _not_ have me upset over such silly things. In that moment, I truly felt blessed to have a mother-in-law like Esme. _Maybe she was not a total Nazi… a Nazi Ally maybe?_

**-OTC-**

Around 5 in the evening, the wedding Nazis dropped Rose and me back at our apartment. We invited them upstairs but Esme declined saying that she was supposed to meet her son.

Before leaving she hugged me close and whispered, "I cannot tell you how happy I am. I have dreamt of having you as my daughter since the day you came into this world. Thank you, darling child. You are the best thing that is gonna happen to my Edward. I love you as my own daughter."

Hearing her heartfelt words I felt tears stinging the back of my eyes and my brain shut off so I couldn't think of any proper reply. So I did what I usually do in such cases- crack a lame joke, "At least I won't have to worry about getting along with my in-laws! That's a good thing, right?"

As soon as the words were out of my mouth I wanted to staple my lips together as a precaution for preventing any future chances of _brain-mouth-filter_ loss on my part. Esme, however, didn't look at me as the stupid ass I was feeling like. Rather, she laughed in her good-humored way and let the others say their goodbyes.

That night before going to bed, Rosalie acquiesced that after meeting Esme and Alice Cullen, Edward Cullen _did not_ seem to be the _stiff_ she thought at first. And for once in my life I prayed whole-heartedly that Rosalie Hale was right.

The next morning we both went to our in-charge Chief Pharmacist, Mr. Eleazar Montgomery, and applied for a leave of absence due to '_being required to attend a family function'_. I don't know why I didn't tell him about getting married, or any of my coworkers for that matter, I guess I was still not sure I was getting married in less than a week!

Mr. Montgomery, being a nice man, granted our request and wished us to have fun. "_Well, easy for you to say, buddy. You aren't the one who's being stuffed in a white gown and exchanging vows for eternal companionship with a _fucking stranger_!_" my inner bitch was still sulking from the news of my wedding.

Just as I was about to leave his office, Mr. Montgomery called me back and said with a encouraging smile on his face, "Ms. Swan, from next Monday you will be appointed to the neurology ward. You will be working with our new neurologist. From what I have heard of him, the guy sounds like an absolute genius. I hope you'll enjoy working with him seeing that neuro-medicine was your major?"

I smiled gratefully and replied, "Of course, Mr. Montgomery. I always wanted to help people with neurogenic disorders. I'm sure it will be an honor to work alongside our new doctor and I will get to learn many new things from him as well." I left his office in a considerably brighter mood seeing I would finally get the chance to work where I was meant to be.

That's how by the end of Monday, I found myself having most of my wedding stuff bought and leave arranged. Looked like maybe, _just maybe_, I was going to be married by the same time next week.

**EPOV**

Reneé Swan was quite a good-looking woman. So, hoping that her daughter would not be a complete _troll _was _probably_ not too much to ask.

After dining with me and Emmett, my mother and Reneé left to go back to Forks. Then I took Alice to see the room I wanted to give to Isabella. I had only have enough time to color a spare bedroom with a soft violet color, which surprisingly, Allie approved of!

The reason I chose the color was a bit selfish. First I thought pink would be a safer choice. _'Cause you know all girls like pink, right?_ However, I could not think of my future _wife_ as a typical girly-girl. After talking to Alice about Isabella last night, I thought if _she_ seemed even a bit suited for me as Alice swore, she'd probably not have a _pink fetish_… unlike my sister! So, I figured, "_What the hell, I'd color it violet, it's a bit feminine but not overly girly. And I do want a feminine wife… otherwise I'd be batting for the other team. So violet it is!_"

Due to the magic pixie that was my little sister, by next day the room was hardly recognizable. It had a queen-sized bed, a _large_, arguably huge, walk-in-closet which Alice stocked up with everything from sweats to long floor-length gowns, and a huge-ass book shelf already one quarter filled with books that Allie thought _she_ would like. When I had the opportunity I perused to find it to be mostly romance novels and free of Cosmo or any other stupid shit I saw my sister read. "_Romance I can deal with… as long as Isabella is not a Cosmo wielding woman obsessing over that magazine!_" was my first thought.

All in all, by bed time on Monday I was _almost_ ready to welcome a complete stranger… a female one at that… in my life through holy and binding promise of matrimony. _Terrific!_

**A/N: Thanks for reading. I know it's a lot shorter than the previous one but this was more of a filler chapter. The next chapter is already in progress and I can tell you this... it's coming along just how I was hoping. So I think Chapter-9 would be about double the length of 8, now don't hate me for this short chapter?**

**I know you guys are dying to see them meet and so am I. It's just round the corner. That's all I can say to you for now. Have a little patience, please.**

**One more thing, I have been getting many guest reviews but because I don't know who you are I can't reply to you guys. Please sign in before reviewing so that I can reach out to you. :-)**

**Now I made you happy with the update... so make me happy and review, please?**


	9. Chapter 9: Strike One

**Disclaimer: No copyrights infringement intended. I don't own Twilight saga or any of its awesome characters.**

**A/N: Thanks to everyone who has reviewed, favorited, put on alert or simply... read OTC. You guys make my days a little bit brighter. Thank you. Now you get what you all have been waiting for...**

**Enjoy Chapter-9 and I'll see you at the end of this chapter! :-)**

**Chapter-9: Strike One**

**BPOV**

I did not tell anybody at the hospital about my impending doom… I mean marriage. Because, at the back of my mind, I was scared to death (or may be just faint… c'mon death's not _that_ easy!) that I'd be left at the altar on the day of!

_Let's face it, being rejected by a stranger on the eve of marriage is bad enough without making a public spectacle of yourself, right?_ That's how I justified my decision anyway.

On Wednesday, Rosalie kidnapped or what she preferred to call _Bella-napped_ me and dragged me to Joe's for celebrating the end of my boring bachelorette days. We were a party of two! Sorriest bachelorette party ever, I know! But if there was one person in the world I would like to pass my time with in drinking that would most definitely be Rosalie Hale, my best friend.

But at the moment I was so not feeling the sisterly love for that girl.

"Seriously, Rose, it's just a few drinks at Joe's. Why the fuck are you dolling me up?" I cuss when I get mad _or_ annoyed. And at the moment, I was not _just_ annoyed or _just_ mad. I was annoyed _and_ mad. In fact, I was fuming.

Rose had forced me to put on a black halter-neck, knee length dress. My hair was styled as a combination of a ponytail and a knot. I had _freaking_ blue eye shadows and pink gloss on my lips for crying out loud! I didn't like eye shadows. A bit of mascara and eye liner was all I could take. So naturally I was thinking of ways to kill Rosalie Hale bare-handed! _Maybe I should call up Charlie for pointers on hiding the body?_

As if I hadn't said a thing, Rose simply motioned me towards the black strappy heels or _death traps_… depending on your perspective! When I continued to glare at her she gave me her patented withering look that said _I am so not listening to any more of your whining_.

"Shut your pie-hole, Swan! If I say wear 'em, you_ will_ wear 'em. It's my last chance to dress you up as a slut. From Saturday you won't just be my best friend; you'll be someone's wife. So, I won't get the chance to irritate you by dressing you up. So… zip it, Izzie!" _God! I hate that nickname!_

I huffed and said, "Rose, you _know_ when I'm standing next to you, I'll be _nowhere_ near the region of pretty. No one will even spare me a second glance." She just gave me another of her patented looks which meant, _you would be wise to drop the line of thought RIGHT NOW!_

May be seeing my sad pouty look she said, "I don't care if you look pretty for people or not. I am your Maid of Honor and you _will_ dress up even if just to appease me. And don't _ever_ talk in that self-degrading way. You are _my_ best friend. Of course you're beautiful- inside and out."

Seeing no other escape route I sighed signaling my acceptance of defeat and Rose gave me a smug smile.

At Joe's Rosalie ordered a few tequila shots for us and we downed them quickly. I was about to pick up my third shot when Rose grasped my hand and I groaned in pain. _If you haven't been pierced by her long-ass nails then you wouldn't understand just how painful it is!_ I casted a questioning look at her and saw that she was looking at something, mouth agape.

Following Rose's dumbfounded stare I saw a man… or more accurately… a wall of muscle with brown curly hair, gaping at Rosalie.

The guy was cute looking, I guess- if you got past all the muscle. However, I couldn't bother to concentrate enough on his cuteness. Because, my eyes got stuck on the man standing next to him.

He was lankier than the other one, but his face… his angular jaw, high cheek bones, perfectly arched eyebrows, straight nose… all made him look like the human model Michelangelo had used to sculpt the _David_!

He had the strangest hair color. It had red, brown and even some blond streaks in it… actually, it looked… _bronze_? "_Is that even a legal hair color?_" my subconscious was questioning my sanity, no doubt! But if I had to put a name to that color I would always name it bronze.

He wore a simple black button-down shirt with dark jeans. But these simple clothes made him look like the sexiest man alive! After checking him out from head to toe… or _hair to heels of his shoes_… I looked back at his face.

My gaze instantly got locked on intense emerald-green eyes. They were beautiful, mesmerizing, twinkling and… _cold_? As I blinked to take in his facial features again I saw that his whole face was contorted in… _disgust?_ And he was looking right at me!

I quickly looked down feeling my cheeks grow hot with my ever-present blush. "_How the hell could a complete stranger take such an instant dislike of me?"_ that was the question going around in my head.

**EPOV**

On Wednesday before going out with Emmett, I promised to myself that no matter how much booze Em forced me to drink; I _would not _hook up with any skanky bar-flies. I wanted to be faithful to my… _what was she_… fiancée, I guess! "_I may not know her yet but I trust my family. So, I will endeavor to be someone _she_ could trust"_ that's what I had promised myself.

Upon arriving at the hole-in-the-wall bar, we ordered a round of shots and started to down them immediately- I was determined to get drunk quickly so that Em would be satisfied to end the '_stag night'_ early and let me go back to my place.

I could feel stares on myself. I knew many women were giving me the mating look… or eye-fucking me… whatever you call it, just like they used to when I was in England. But I was Edward _fucking_ Cullen, a man of my word… a faithful husband-to-be. I was proud of my self-control but then… the door opened and… I was fucked!

In walked two women. One was blond, tall and leggy- everyman's dream. But her companion, a shorter girl who took a seat next to the blond was _the _epitome of female beauty!

She wore a black halter-neck knee length dress. Her white as snow skin and chocolate brown hair made her look like a brunette Aphrodite! I couldn't- for the life of me- stop my eyes from looking at her.

As her friend got busy eye-fucking my friend, the brunette looked over to see what her friend was looking at and then _she_ saw_ me_. Her eyes raked me from head to toe and I understood that she was checking me out, just like I was gaping like a moron at her!

Suddenly I saw her blush. Seeing her rosy cheeks I wondered what she was thinking about. Then another thought entered my mind, wondering just how much further her blush went. "_Whoa! Hold it, Cullen! Think about Isabella. Forget about this girl. Isabella is the one you should be thinking about."_ I mentally chastised myself.

But before I could school my thoughts she looked right into my eyes and I met my personal _Devil_!

Her eyes were like pools of molten chocolate. I found myself wishing I could drown in them. Then an infuriating thought came to me that knocked me back to my senses. "_Who the hell does she think she is? How dare she come here to make me break my resolve on the eve of my wedding? The answer is simple, she is the devil summoned from my own personal hell."_

As my temper rose my ogling stare turned to a full-on glare. _Why would a puny little girl make me feel like this- now of all time?_ I didn't know the answer to that but I already blamed her for my loss of control! She was no better than those women who had been eye-fucking me earlier. In fact, she was worse- because she made me look back at her; none of the others could do that.

I needed a real drink- right fucking now!

**BPOV**

"Rose! Rose! ROSALIE HALE! Snap out of it! Stop eye-fucking that _mountain_ or I swear I'll leave your sorry ass here and go back home… alone." I yell in Rosalie's ear over the music playing in the background after breaking eye contact with the sexy-haired guy.

"Huh?! Oh! Oh… yeah… okay. Then… umm… let's… yeah…let's drink something else then." I couldn't believe my ears hearing Rosalie Hale _stammer_! "_Surely something is happening! Since when does Rose, the epitome of perfection, stammer?"_ I silently mused.

When Rose made no move to get up I went to order our drinks myself. Joe, the owner of the bar, already knew us as regulars since our joining the hospital. Seeing me approach he smiled at me and I started to say, "Hey, Joe! A Cosmo for Rose and a Gin-and-Tonic…"

"A Gin-and-Tonic, please." A velvety smooth voice interrupted me. I looked over my shoulder to see the same emerald-green eyes up close. A fleeting look of surprise on his face is quickly replaced by a look of irritation as he glares at me.

I turned back to the owner plus bartender, Joe, to get the drinks, trying to escape the intense looking eyes. I don't hear _him_ move over the loud music playing in the bar and so when I try to turn and dash to our table I got startled to see him closer than before. And me being the Queen of Clumsy, spilled the drinks on him.

"Oh! I'm so sorry. I didn't hear you move. It was my fault." I gushed as I felt my cheeks heat up.

"Yes, it _was_ your fault. Totally your fault! If you can't walk on a simple flat surface then maybe you shouldn't step out of your house." He snaps at me.

At that moment all my sexual attraction to him evaporates. All I'm thinking is, "_God! This fucker is so fucking rude! Who the fuck is he, to fucking snap at me?_" Yeah, to put it mildly, I got MAD!

I decide to give him the polite way out of this argument and say, "Hey! I said I was sorry! May be _you_ shouldn't leave _your_ house until you learn some _manners!_" I managed to get my words out sans any profanities. However, at my outburst his well-defined jaw hardened even further. I tried reigning in my anger and add, "Listen, I'm sorry for ruining your shirt. But can you at least be polite?"

I thought my calm words would make him see the error in his rudeness but he simply retorted back, "Of course you did. Your sorry won't take the stains out of my shirt! So, can _you_ at least watch where you walk?"

"_Forget polite! This idiot deserves the finger… from both hands!_" my bitchy mind tells me to let him have a taste of my bitchiness. So I snap at him in return, "Oh God! What the _hell_ is wrong with you? Are you incapable of being _polite_? Are you _always_ this rude to _everyone_ or just strangers?"

My anger seemed to stroke his annoyance even more as he replied, "Yeah, well, when the said stranger goes where she's _not _supposed to be, I tend to be rude." My head explodes yelling, "_God! Is this guy real? Did you make a jackass like _this _and send him to your earth? Why, God, why?_"

I spit out what comes to my mind and said, "WHAT! Who the _hell_ do you think you are? What the _fuck_ do you know about where I should and shouldn't be?" By this point I was beyond angry, I was furious. I'm sure I was about to blow steam out of my ears. Soon, tears started prickling in my eyes. But I swore, _I'll be damned if I let this jerk see me cry!_

He ignored my furious expression and answered nonchalantly, "I'm the guy you just tried to drown in Gin-and-Tonic!"

"_If he thinks a few drops on his shirt could drown him then he should be drowned in a pool of alcohol!_" I thought to myself and turned on my sarcasm, "Really? Ok, then. I guess it serves you right, doesn't it? I mean, you _did_ order a Gin-and-Tonic!" I knew I was egging him on but I couldn't shut my mouth and let him win. I wanted to see just how rude he could be.

During our shouting match, _or a tournament I guess_, we had continued to lean closer to each other and at this point our faces were mere inches apart. When I smelled a musky but enticing scent I realized just how close we were standing. Before I could back off a hand started to pull me back.

As the fog of yelling at the rude jerk slowly lifted from my brain I became aware of Rose tugging my hand and saying, "Izzie! Calm down! Let's just grab some beers and get out of here."

Then I saw the mountain pulling the Rude Adonis from behind and saying loudly, "Mase! Bro, what the fuck is wrong with you? Chill out. Seriously, man, it's just a shirt." The RA(Rude Adonis) or _Mase_, as his friend called him, shook his head as if coming out of a stupor and then allowed his friend to pull him back.

As our friends tugged us in opposite directions, I looked back and instantly locked eyes with him. He really was the most handsome man I had ever laid eyes on. But he also was the rudest one as well. As I went out the door thought running through my mind was, "_I don't give two shits if Edward looks like the Quasimodo, I just hope he was not rude like the stupid, arrogant, jerk… Mase!_"

**A/N: Thank you for reading.**

**So they met... finally. This chapter is the first thought I had when the plot came to me. Let me know how did you like it?**

**Today's one month birthday of OTC! Yay! Cheers to all my readers! You guys inspire me to write. Thank you for supporting me and OTC. OTC has now had 11k hits. :-D**

**Show me your support and review... please?**

**Until next time. Till then...take care. xoxo**


	10. Chapter 10: Haunted

**Disclaimer: No copyrights infringement intended. I don't own Twilight saga or any of its awesome characters. Nor do I own Enrique Iglesias or Ian Somerhalder! :-(**

**A/N: Thanks to everyone who has reviewed, favorited, put on alert or simply... read OTC. You guys make my days a little bit brighter. **

**Last chapter we saw our two favorite characters meet, let's see what effect the meeting has on them! ;-)**

**Enjoy Chapter-10 and I'll see you at the end of this chapter! :-)**

**Chapter-10: Haunted**

**EPOV**

Before parting from the bar, I allowed myself one last glance at _her_. She really was the sexiest woman I had ever laid my eyes on. Those deep eyes, that sweet voice, that blush… and especially that sharp tongue… was a definite turn on. I just hoped to God that Isabella was at least one-tenth of this firecracker, Izzie, in both looks and attitude. I mean, a guy can hope, right?

Once we were out of the bar and safely inside Emmett's jeep he looked at me like I had grown two heads and asked, "What the hell, Mase? Why were you being such an ass to the poor girl?" I replied in my head, "_I can't tell you that just seeing her gave me a hard-on that would've waved a hello at the _poor girl,_ as you so _eloquently_ put it, and I was trying to pick a fight with her to bring my stupid dick under control!_" Nope. No way I was gonna say that to Em. Not if I want to survive the upcoming drive back home.

Instead I vaguely replied, "She spilled her drink on my shirt."

Emmett looked at me like my two heads, as he had looked at me before, had each grown two heads of their own! Then he sort of yelled, "Seriously, Bro? It's just the cuff. Come on, man, I know you wouldn't be _this_ worked up over a stupid shirt!"

"Well, it's my favorite shirt," was my _brilliant_ come-back.

"Oh! Alice! It's you! I thought I was out with your stupid ass brother." He was smart-mouthing, trying to piss me off more.

"Ha ha, very funny, Em. In case you've forgotten, Alice considers you her brother too." Before he could say anything else I quickly tried to change the topic saying, "Hey, why were you calling me _Mase _back there? I thought that stupid nickname was gone?"

"Yeah, well, I thought every stupid guy should have a stupid name! And also, the way you've been acting told me that your head got inside a _maze_ and then got lost in your ass. Now don't try to change the topic. Tell me, what did she _do_?" I hate the times my cousin turns all curious.

I sighed realizing there was no way he'll drop it and then said slowly, "She was checking me out, Em. You know how much I hate those looks." I was lying to him and myself. Truth was I would've enjoyed those looks coming from _her_. "_But I hate infidelity and I cannot do something like _this_ to Isabella. I may not know her but my family seems to love her. I did the right thing._" That's what I told myself anyway.

"That's it? Dude, women check men out. It's their natural instinct, just like _most_ guys check girls out in bars." I saw him rolling his eyes when he put emphasis on the '_most guys'_ part. Before I could defend myself he added, "Besides, Bro, that crow's nest on your head is like a chick-magnet! What's the big deal? You always let the mating looks slide… what's the matter now?"

"Well, it mattered _this_ time!" I blurted out before I could stop myself, "It mattered because she… _she_… " I trailed off, unsure of what to say.

"Holy shit! _The_ great Edward Cullen, heart breaker of the female population at Oxford, is at a loss for words? And that's over a pretty little girl? Is the sun out at night?!" He actually looked out his window as if checking to make sure the sun was not out!

Ugh! I hated his antics at times! I huffed and said, "Shut it, Em! I did _not_ break anyone's heart in Oxford…" then because I'm an idiot I added, "… and she was not _pretty_!"

Emmett looked positively gleeful at the chance of pestering me and said, "You did. Ignoring the female species like they are a new form of plague on earth was heart-breaking to Oxford chicks, trust me." Then he frowned and said, "And… I know you try to prove you are a _saint_ with your _celibacy_ thing, but come on, man, even you have to admit that she _was_ pretty."

My brain focused on his last remark and made me say, "I meant she was not _just_ pretty." Then when I replayed his whole speech I adamantly said, "And, for the record, I am _not_ celibate. I just prefer not to have sex with random people. Because that, is a sure-fire way of landing a health hazard of STDs."

Emmett completely ignored my statement and asked me, "Meaning?" sending his eyebrows near his hairline. I finally decided to say it out right and snapped, "Meaning she was downright sexy… like devil's daughter from my personal hell. And I hate her for it. Because every moment I spend thinking about her I feel like I am cheating on Isabella. So, there… I acted like an ass because I was turned on. Are you happy now? You've got me to spill the beans. Now, DROP IT!" I was getting furious at my cousin over _her. Everything_ was her fault!

Emmett took my outburst in a stride and simply nodded, starting the car. The rest of the drive he didn't say a word, letting me wallow in my misery.

_The universe is so unfair. How can this sexy hell cat with chocolate eyes and long white legs come to me just after I had promised myself to someone else?_ I had to forget Izzie. In order to get her out of my head I tried to imagine what Isabella would look like.

"_Hmm… let's see, Alice said Isabella was a brunette… with chocolate brown eyes… milky white long legs… slender figure… add two blushing red cheeks in that…_" as soon as I realized whom the vision behind my closed eyes belonged to I stopped my train of thought. _Damn it all!_ I was thinking about Izzie… again! What the fuck was wrong with me? A few minutes encounter COULD NOT haunt me like that, right?

**BPOV**

Rosalie Hale was about to throw a tantrum fit. I could feel it coming in waves from her. She was mad because she could not get _cozy_ with the Muscle due to my untimely showdown. I should be feeling sorry for her but if she was thinking I would take shit from her about _this_ then she thought wrong. I was in a bitchy mood thanks to Mr. Rude Adonis, or RA as I've been calling him in my head.

As soon as we were in her BMW I turned to her to stop her hissy-fit before it comes, "Rosalie, I know you're mad about not being able to get the Muscle guy's number, but _do not_ try to yell at me. I'm in a no-shit mood right now. I did what I had to do."

"Bell," Rosalie sighed, "I'm not mad. I'm disappointed… at both of us. At myself- because I failed to make you _feel like a princess_ on your bachelorette night. And at you because you didn't let me fuck the… _Muscle's_, to quote you, brains out." Twitching at the corner of her lips told me she at least found some humor in the whole situation.

She was such a good friend. I felt bad for ruining her _muscular_ plans and said softly, "I'm sorry, Rose. I don't know what came over me." Rose slightly poked me in the ribs and said "Hey! It's cool. It doesn't matter if I never get another guy, you'll always be my best friend."

As I gave her a sheepish smile, she asked me, "Now tell me what the hell did you _do_ to that weirdo? The guy looked like you had taken off your shoes and poked him in the eye with the heels or something."

I felt my ever-unwelcome blush spreading through my cheeks and almost whispered, "Well… you know I am a klutz, right? He sort of startled me at the bar and I kinda spilled my drink on him."

Rose looked like she was about to burst into a laughter but at the last moment thought better of it. "_Nice save, Rose_," I mentally admire her self-control. After a few seconds she said, "So? You know there is a special word for such situations. It's called '_sorry'_. It's that simple, Izzie." Ugh! If anyone could match my sarcasm it definitely was Rose!

"Ha ha, Rose, you're hilarious. I'm about to pee my pants with mirth!" I replied with sarcasm as well, "I did say sorry, smart-ass. But the jerk started to blame me like every bad thing ever to have happened to mankind was my fault!"

"What? Why would he do that?" Rose had an inquisitive look on her face as she continued, "You know, when I first saw you two standing so close to each other, I could swear I felt some sexual tension going on." She was snooping for information. But I didn't want to admit I was attracted to _him_… even momentarily.

So I shrugged and said, "No, Rose, you got it all wrong. We were just trying to stare each other down."

She looked crestfallen as she tried again, "But… even you agree that he was good looking, don't you?"

I sighed and simply shrugged again, "I don't know, Rose."

Rose perked up at my sigh and prodded me saying, "What do you mean, _you don't know_? Were you attracted to him or not? It's a simple question, Bella." I huffed and said to myself, "_What the fuck? Just admit it. He can't hear you._"

So I let my thoughts explode out of my mouth, "WHAT DO YOU WANT ME TO SAY, ROSALIE? That he was drop-dead gorgeous with ridiculously sexy hair? That he had the most intense eyes I have ever seen? That he would've given me a fucking girly hard-on if it was possible by just a single fucking look? That when we were arguing I was thinking if I could shut him the fuck up by kissing the ever-loving shit out of him? Those are all true, Rose. But that doesn't matter. Because it doesn't change anything. 'Cause he is the rudest jackass I've ever encountered. And even if he wasn't so fucking rude it would still mean _abso-fucking-lutely_ nothing. You know why? Because, I am engaged!" I breathed the last part out feeling like I was about to hyperventilate.

Rose put her hand on my shoulder and said in a soothing manner, "Ok, B, calm down." When I was breathing regularly again she continued, "C'mon, B, seriously? That's the first time I've heard you say you were turned on by someone who's not Enrique Iglesias or Ian Somerhalder. This is big! May be you should have gone for this guy. I mean you don't even know Eddie."

I looked incredulously at my friend. She knows me… knows how I always do what my parents think is best for me. If they think Edward will be good for me then I would marry him… to make my parents happy. So I shook my head at her and said, "Well, I don't know this… Mase… either. Now stop talking about him. I don't wanna waste another moment of my precious time thinking about him." Just as Rosalie opened her mouth to pursue the matter further I quickly continued, "Shut it, Blondie! Get us home. I need to have a clear head for the long drive back to Forks tomorrow."

Rose almost growled at my calling her names and then decided I was right. Nodding she turned on the car. When we were on our way I tried to get Mase out of my head. The best way to do that seemed like to concentrate on Edward. "_So, Bella, what would Edward Cullen look like?_" I asked myself, "_Well, first thing is his hair_…" here I got stuck. I couldn't decide on his hair color. I mean, his family all had different hair colors!

_"Okay, forget hair. What color eyes should he have?"_ I faced the same dilemma again, seeing that Carlisle and Alice had blue eyes and Esme… Esme had green eyes. "_Though Esme's green is more like a forest green, isn't it? More vibrant green is better, like emerald green…_" with that I lost my train of thought as my mind conjured up an image. An image of piercing green eyes, unruly bronze hair… well-defined jaw… pale skin…

"_Whoa, Swan! You're thinking of Mase… _again_? What the hell is wrong with you? It's not like you haven't seen a guy before. What's so special about him? How long are you gonna let him haunt your thoughts like this?_" as my mind chastised me I kept wondering the same questions… what _was _so special about him?

**-OTC-**

I was still reeling from the thoughts of _him_ when we got home. Rosalie looked at my lost expression and smirked, "Izzie, you seriously need to get laid, dude! Then you wouldn't have this lost puppy like look on your face. Want me to find someone for you to hook up with?"

I am sure the look on my face told her just how horrified I was at her suggestion. I had held on to my precious V-card for this long and she thought that I'll be happy to just hand it over to some faceless, nameless stranger just before getting married?! "_Don't think so, Sister!"_ My heart and my head simultaneously shouted at her.

Rose's way to thinking made me feel sick. _Sometimes she could be too damn reckless!_ So I didn't even attempt to grace her crass question with an answer (_not that I thought she deserved one anyway!_) lest I should start puking my shots up. Instead I just flipped her the bird and went to my room.

When I got into my bed for the night I felt how tensed I was; no way I would be able to sleep like this. So, I decided to take up the advice of _all-knowledgeable_ Rosalie Hale, well at least to some extent… I didn't get laid… I masturbated.

It was not the first time I had done it, in fact my mom was the one who gave me a leaflet in my college freshman year that advised on the ways to relieve tension… So, basically I was just relieving tension, right?

However, after finishing up I realized that it was the first time I had done _this_ while thinking of a real person… _him_… and not a fictional character! What was_ he_ doing to me?

Finally, relaxed, I fell asleep just as my head touched the pillow. And then, I had a weird dream. I knew that I had to be dreaming but it felt like it really _had_ happened… like it was not a dream but a memory.

_A little boy in batman swimming trunks was sitting by a backyard pool, swinging his legs. He had a head full of crazy bronze locks. He looked about five years old. Suddenly the boy looked up and shouted, "C'mon, Bellarina, don't you want to learn to swim?"_

_In response to his shout, a shrill cry was heard, "E… E… E… E…" then a brown haired girl came running out of the changing room from other side of the backyard, wearing a flowery swimsuit. _Looking at her, I did a double take because that little girl was my three year old self! I could see the similarities from the baby photos my mom had of me.

_She was running with a huge grin on her face until she tripped and fell. _"Now I'm sure that's me!" even my subconscious knew how much of a klutz I was!_ The little girl took a look at her bleeding knee and started crying and the boy rushed towards her._

_He tried soothing her and when her crying tapered slightly he held her face in his hands and wiped away her tears. Then he said seriously, "No, Bellarina, Don't cry. Pretty girls shouldn't cry. You should always smile." Then he leaned in and kissed her knee and the girl gave him a toothy grin, her pain forgotten already…_

I woke up with a start after this cute but bizarre dream. What the fuck was that? The boy definitely looked like him… _Mase_… and I couldn't shake the feeling that I had experienced this thing before. But that can't be right, can it?

The last thought on my mind before slipping back into sleep was, "_God! I am about to marry a stranger and now having weird dreams about another stranger! It's official… I am royally screwed!_"

**EPOV**

After Emmett dropped me at home I went straight to the bathroom to take a cold shower where I vehemently gave a _talk_ about inappropriate behavior to my way-ward behaving genitals. Alas! It didn't help. Just the thought of _her_ fiery eyes made me hard again. So, yeah… I did the exact opposite of what I intended before… and ended up jerking off! Even then when I tried to think about Isabella my treacherous mind brought Izzie's face before my eyes.

That night I couldn't fall asleep at first. When sleep did come, I had a vivid dream that made my head even fuzzier than before.

In my dream there were two kids; a boy of about four years of age and a girl who looked to be of two. I knew right away that the boy was me… because who else would have that crazy-as-fuck hair, right? But the girl… she had brown hair with deep brown, almost chocolaty, eyes… suddenly it clicked… she looked like a little version of Izzie!

_Anyway, we were playing under a tree when a much younger Reneé Swan _(younger than the one I met a few days back)_ appeared at a distance and called to us to come wash up if we wanted the ice cream. I didn't catch the beginning of her call but it was clear to me she was calling for us._

_The girl stood up, hearing the word ice cream and started to rush towards Mrs. Swan but before she could reach her the girl tripped and fell down. She started whimpering with pain and then she looked up at me and whispered, "E… hurts!"_

_My four year old self ran to her as fast as my little feet would carry me and quickly wrapped her in my arms. I was saying calming words to stop her crying, "Bellarina, I got you. Don't cry. I not like to see you cry." She tried to smile at me through her tears and threw her arms around my neck saying, "E, you are the bestest best friend ever!"_

I was jolted awake from my dream. What the hell was happening to me? It felt like my mind was trying to connect me to Izzie, no doubt trying to justify the improper thoughts I kept having about her. But then I thought, "_Wait a second, why on earth did I call Izzie '_Bellarina'_? And that dream… it felt so real… Ugh!_"

I groaned in frustration. That woman was seriously messing with my head. I had a feeling that if it continued this way then _she_ would be the death of me!

**A/N: So... a 3k plus chapter for you! I couldn't resist putting in a bit of drama. ;-)**

**How was it? Good? Bad? Totally not worth your wait for update? Let me know! I love to hear from you guys!**

** Thanks for reading everyone! Now, leave me a review, please?**

**Take care.**

**Ann**


	11. Chapter 11: It's Happening!

**Disclaimer: No copyrights infringement intended. I don't own Twilight saga or any of its awesome characters. **

**A/N: Thanks to everyone who has reviewed, favorited, put on alert or simply... read OTC. You guys make my days a little bit brighter. Thank you.**

**Enjoy Chapter-11 and I'll see you at the end of this chapter! :-)**

**Chapter-11: It's Happening!**

**BPOV**

The next day, after a late brunch, Rose and I drove down to Forks. We decided to take my truck so that on the way back to Seattle, _if I get married_, then I'll be riding with Edward, leaving Rose to drive my truck back. Rose had a hangover due to unknown amount of alcohol consumption. Secretly, I was glad. Don't think of me as a bad friend. I love Rosalie Hale to death, but she was just too nosy. So, I knew if she hadn't had the skull-shattering pain, she'd try to get us killed by talking incessantly about Mase. "_And let's face it, that guy is seriously injurious to your health. All these thoughts about him let you have very less sleep last night and now arguing about him may distract you to drive your truck straight to a tree!_" I mentally told myself, because I knew I had had enough thoughts of that man as it was.

We reached Forks just when the sun was about to set. When my Mom told me that we were going to meet the Cullens at the diner for dinner and going over the plans for tomorrow, we being my _charming _self, Reneé, Rosalie and Rose's mom, Mrs. Hale, I thought I was going to meet my husband-to-be that night.

However before I could start hyperventilating- my Dad, Charlie, seemed to take in my scared look and said reassuringly, "Don't worry, Kiddo. Edward isn't going to be there. Heard from Carlisle he's still finishing up the furnishing of his apartment. But he'll be here…" I'm sure my eyes looked like fucking tennis balls thinking just where _here_ was. Again Dad calmed me before I had a chance of voicing my horrors, "… Let me finish, Bells. He'll be here, _meaning_, Forks not our house… by tomorrow afternoon. And since you know about your Mom's… _superstitions_, I don't think you'll meet him tomorrow night. So, I guess you'll meet him at the altar itself."

I sighed with relief. I didn't want to know if Edward Cullen was a rodent-look-alike or some other shit. Because if he did turn out to be bad-looking I'm sure my pathetic mind will start to compare him with Mase. And I honestly didn't want to think of _him_ anymore than necessary! So I plastered a smile on my face and said to my Dad, "Yeah, got it, Dad. That's actually a good idea."

**-OTC-**

At the diner, the wedding _Nazis_… I mean _planners_… talked excitedly about taking a spa day tomorrow. But I couldn't gather enough fake enthusiasm to join them. Because let's face it, a whole day of picking, sticking, poking, prodding, scrubbing, rubbing and of course… some or other Barbie-wanna-be bitch sitting on the chair next to me was definitely _not_ my idea of Heaven. (I have no idea why but every time Rose had dragged me to spa I had been the one to be stuck with but vain bitch while Rose focused on her Cosmopolitan magazine in peace. Lucky bitch!) Beside, the majority of my attention and brain's neurons were still stuck on thoughts of _him_.

"_This fucking fixation on a fucking rude guy is simply fucking ridiculous!_" I thought to myself just as I remembered his heated look of intense dislike once again. _Everything _reminded me of him. Even a simple glass of water poured in a wine glass reminded me how he looked dowsed in my drink. Trying to shake of my stupor I looked at Esme and _of course_ her forest green eyes reminded me of a pair of emerald green ones. This was seriously getting out of hand!

With each passing moment I got angrier and more frustrated. Angry at him for invading my thoughts and frustrated at my lack of self control. Slowly, another feeling overcame me… guilt. The guilt for thinking of another guy… _him_ of all people… while people were making plans for my marriage to Edward, rivaled my anger. When Reneé announced we were good to go I heaved a sigh of relief and hoped my smile in farewells to Esme and Alice looked genuine.

That night, before going to sleep I promised myself that I was _NOT_ going to think of _him_ anymore. As a result, he was on my mind before I fell asleep. Can anyone guess what it resulted in? Ding… ding… ding! _Naturally _that fucker invaded my dreams with his sexy as hell Rude Adonis self!

**-OTC-**

On Friday, we, the ladies of WN (Wedding Nazis) Ltd. and _my-useless-bride-self_, all went to Port Angeles for our _so anticipated_ spa day. My thoughts? "_Two words… Oh Joy!_" I had a very early morning so… I was bitchier than usual… thanks to my future-sister-in-law, the _Hitler Pixie!_

However, as the day went on, I guess it turned out to be pretty… _tolerable_? "_May be that's because you were spared the horrors of Brazilian Wax!_" I told myself. But that's not what made it a _good_ day though… that was all thanks to Esme, my personal mother angel!

Esme was such a sweetheart! I guess my use of endearment may be biased due to the Gin-and-Tonic in my hand but she's a good company. She told me stories about how she was the first person, beside my parents, to hold me the day I was born… how Edward wanted to have a chance to hold the _pretty baby_ too… It seemed surreal that Edward was present in the room when my parents first introduced me to the world as Isabella Swan! "_So, that means… he's not a _complete _stranger, right?_" I guessed my drink was making me think too much!

Anyway, Esme remembered the most insignificant details of my childhood. She remembered how I took my first steps early making everyone, including Dad, tear up… how my first smile was directed at a certain silly boy making funny faces… how I loved having ice cream… how my first word made her and Reneé cry… how I was adamant to call both her and Reneé Mom… how I cried clutching her legs pleading her not to go away when I was four… everything.

A common feature of her stories was that almost every story contained Edward. I tried very hard but for the life of me, couldn't remember any boy being such a huge part of my childhood. The only boy I could remember from my early years was Jacob-fucking-Black, the fucker-extraordinaire, whom I unfortunately befriended at the age of eleven.

Esme and I were snapped back into the present by Alice's sad pouty voice saying, "Bella, we're so sorry. We couldn't arrange a bridal shower for you. Just a few more weeks would have been lovely. But, oh, well… we have arranged a Girls' Night for you… TONIGHT! What do you say? Anything you want to do, see, eat before tying the knot with my brother?" I could practically see her vibrating with suppressed energy and anticipation.

I couldn't crush her directly after being excused from the _official_ bachelorette thing so I tried to side-step, "No, Alice, it's not really necessary. I don't mind not having a bridal shower… or a Girls' Night… and I don't think I'll be changing my eating habits just because I got married. So, it's ok. Truly!"

The last bit brought on a round of laughter on everyone's faces. After the mirth was under-control Esme smiled at me and said, "Don't panic, Dear. It's going to be just Alice, Rosalie and my future-daughter, you. You will eat a few pizzas, watch some chick-flicks, have a few drinks and that will be it. I tried reigning Alice in, as much as possible," she winked at me.

Hearing her call me daughter, I couldn't help but adore Esme Cullen a bit more. She really was a natural mother. She was my mother-angel. So, of course I couldn't say no to her. I acquiesced and just like that it was decided how I was going to spend my last night as a single woman.

**EPOV**

Emmett and I spent the next Thursday and Friday morning in decorating Isabella's room as per instructed by my sister. Alice had told me that Isabella loved reading. So, I bought a bookshelf for her thinking she would need a place to keep her books. However, this made Emmett grunt and shake his head at me like I was some kind of moron! When I couldn't take his silent reproach I asked him what his problem was.

Imagine my surprise when my idiot cousin said, "Dude, you are getting married to this chick. And the whole point of marrying is so that Li'l Ed can finally see some action! Why the fuck are you buying her a bookshelf? Buy her some lingerie so that you can get some!" I shuddered and mentally cut him off when he addressed my genitals! After the shock wore off I shook my head at his horny teenager like attitude and said, "I have just _one_ thing to say to you, Em. No matter how close we are, never… ever… EVER… call my dick names… _EVER_!"

Emmett gave me an innocent look that said, "_Who, me?_" I just decided to ignore his antics. Truth was, my brother was hung over; though I wasn't sure if it was over excessive alcohol or Izzie's blond friend.

Whatever the reason, that Thursday night, when we went out to get a few drinks to relax after our hard day of furniture-moving, Emmett for once, did _not_ hit on any and every female thing that was breathing.

To complete our picture of The Broody Duo I sat beside him with just one glass of Gin-and-Tonic in my hands, thinking about _her_. Now don't ask me which her… because by this point, whenever I thought of Isabella, my mind created Izzie's face.

**-OTC-**

By Friday evening Isabella's room was ready and waiting for her in my place and Emmett and I were standing in my parents' backyard. My mother and sister was not home so the sudden shriek of a feminine voice could only mean two things- first, they were back and second, my dad had told Alice where we were.

"Em! Ed! Em! Ed!" as expected Alice's squealing preceded her tiny form. Emmett looked at me and smiled. No matter how much of an irritant she was we both loved our little sister. Before we could move towards the house Alice came bounding out of the door and jumped in Emmett's outstretched arms. "Hey, Squirt! What's with all the squealing?" "_Emmett always got away with calling her that, not fair!_" I internally sulked.

Alice didn't even flinch hearing Em call names because of her height, _again, not fair…_ she simply shrugged saying, "I got a little excited to see my brothers." When Em murmured, "I bet!" she poked her tongue out at him and then she came over to hug me tightly.

I smiled and crouched down to hug her better then whispered, "Hey, Al, how are you?" Alice let go of me and beamed squealing yet again, "I'm great, Bro. Isabella is the best sister I could ever ask for. Oh! Ed, I'm so happy for you. You will be perfect for each other!" she ended with a happy sigh. I couldn't help smiling back. _I guess her happiness was rubbing off on me!_

Emmett finally noticed that Alice being there meant my mother was back at home as well. So, he hollered in his loud-ass booming voice, "Aunt Esme, where are you? Aren't you going to lavish your favorite nephew with your delicious dishes?" I just huffed at his immature ways_. I swear all the guy ever thought of was chicks and food!_

As if answering Emmett's prayer for food, my mom came out of the door with a huge platter of Chocolate Chip Cookies and said, "Here you go, Dear. You're looking rather worn-out living alone." I snorted, because Emmett looking _worn out_ will be something of a tenth wonder! Mom just gave me a look that always made me feel like an errant little boy for snorting rudely at my cousin.

Then she turned to Alice and said, "Alicia, aren't you supposed to be at the Swans' now? This was your idea after all. Reneé had just called to let me know that Rosalie is already there. You shouldn't keep your new sister waiting now, should you?" I guessed Alice received a look similar to the one I had gotten.

But Alice being Alice didn't seem least bothered about mom's reprimand rather she frowned at her saying, "Mom, its ALICE! Why do you insist on calling me Alicia? It sounds like an old-lady name!" Then she turned to glower at me and continued her tirade, "It's all your fault, Edward! You made me forget about the Girls' Night. Now I _have to_ speed through the town to get there on time..."

I was about to smirk and quip, "_Yeah, I bet you wouldn't have sped anyway._" But Alice wasn't finished, "… Anyway, Em, eat slowly or you'll choke and Ed, I'll see you tomorrow, Big Bro. Bye Mom!" After finishing the whole speech in a single breath she rushed out of the house leaving us gaping at her departing figure.

I was confused about why I'd see her the next day. Mom must have seen my expression as she explained that instead of throwing a bridal shower Alice had arranged a Girls' Night for Isabella. I nodded not knowing if I was supposed to say anything about that. But I didn't have to worry; Emmett had finally swallowed his food and was ready to voice his thoughts.

He clapped on my shoulder and boomed, "If the chicks… I mean _girls,_" he quickly amended after receiving the Emse Cullen "_behave!"_ frown, "… are having a celebration then so will we. Yo, Ed, how about we ask Uncle Carlisle to join us on a Boys' Night of video game marathon… Let's start with _Assassin's Creed_!" He was busy listing off the games we should play and that sounded like a damn good idea to me to celebrate my last night of bachelorhood!

**BPOV**

As the veil of sleep slowly lifted from my mind, I looked around my parents' living room. A slow smile came on my face. "They_ wanted me to have a Girls' Night… and now their place is trashed! It serves them right though. I mean they're my parents. They are supposed to save me from my hyperactive sister-in-law not instigate her by offering her their home as the venue!_" I thought resentfully. Then I took a better look around my surroundings.

On my dad's beloved flat-screen, the end credits for Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (_At least that's what I thought it was… seeing that's what we were watching before I passed out!_) was rolling. Alice was sleeping, curled into a tight ball on the couch and Rosalie was flat-out passed out on the floor. "_Great! We'd make an awesome bridal party!_" I grinned at the thought… _God! Why the hell am I grinning? May be I _am_ drunk…_

Then I looked down at myself and saw that I was lying, with my left half hanging off the side, on the love seat and apparently, the only one awake. "_But maybe that's 'cause you had the least amount of liquor in you. Admit it, raiding Dad's liquor cabinet and drinking all that scotch from the pink styrofoam cup while pretending it was the _Holy Grail_, was not one of your brightest moments!_" my voice of reason in my head was sounding bitchier by the minute. I silently gave my inner bitch a finger.

I decided that before going back to sleep or passing out… again… I should at least try to be comfortable. With that on my mind, I walked up to my bedroom… okay, stumbled and tripped up to my bedroom in search of blankets for myself and my two super drunk bridesmaids. While rifling through the linen closet, my eyes caught a silvery hue and as I moved towards it I found myself standing before my mirror.

I surreptitiously looked around me. I was alone, in my old room, in front of a mirror… and a _tiny bit_ drunk. I decided this was the best time to give myself a talk because I suspected from the moment I open my eyes again, Alice will be glued to my side. So, talk time… I took a deep breath, then coughed… seeing I accidentally inhaled too much air and then stared my reflection down…

"Bella, look around you. This is your last night, in your childhood room as a free woman. Tomorrow by this time you will be Mrs. Edward Cullen. Don't worry. Seeing how amazing Esme is, I'm sure Carlisle and she will be the best in-laws. You already love Alice. They are all so nice. Edward will be nice too. Even if he was not a nice guy, he must have become nice by now because of inductive effects of his family's niceness. Besides, you won't be alone in Seattle. You have Rose and Jazz. They'll be a phone call away. If anything goes wrong, _like Edward turns out to be a psycho killer_, they'll take care of you." I stopped to take a breath and then started once again.

"Don't freak out. Your parents had an arranged marriage. Look how happy they are together. Love is nothing. It's just a passionate idea. Because, let's face it… in real life, you won't find a Darcy or Damon Salvatore. You'll have to make do with Edward and be happy with him. Got it?" I nodded at my reflection.

Then as I was looking into the mirror, I tried to imagine how Edward would look, standing before me and me saying _"I do"_ to him. But as usual, for the last few days, the guy I imagined was _not_ Edward. It was Mase. So the night before my marriage to Edward, I imagined myself saying the binding words to Mase. _Life was awesome, right?_

**-OTC-**

**_Saturday, August 13th. Time: 1.15 p.m._**

I don't even know how the day had passed me by. Suddenly, I found myself standing in front of a mirror once again. But unlike last night, I wasn't wearing my holey pajamas. Nope, I was wearing a floor-length white satin gown with a sweetheart neckline. My usually boring, straight hair was arranged in soft curls with beautiful blue and white flowers pinned in it. I was wearing a simple white veil which was clipped to my hair with a blue hair comb containing blue sapphires. It belonged to my Nana Swan. So, it was my '_something old and something blue,_' according to Mom anyway.

Beneath my dress I had on a baby blue garter which Rosalie lent me as my '_something borrowed_'. To top it all off, I was wearing a simple diamond pendant with its matching earrings dangling from my ears. This set was a gift from my parents and my '_something new_'. The jewelry and my dress were the only things that didn't have blue in them as Alice, our main wedding planner, had decided white and blue as the wedding colors. However, I couldn't complain, because I did look good.

I was standing in the_ bride's room_ in Fork's one and only church, St. Joseph's. Within the next fifteen minutes I was going to become Mrs. Edward Cullen. Alice had squealed a few minutes ago that the groom had arrived. "_Honestly, you'd think the girl was seeing her own brother for the first time in her life!_" I shook my head thinking about her antics. Then my bitchy subconscious reared its ugly head and snarked, "_Maybe she isn't seeing him for the first time. But you will be. Any thoughts on what you're gonna do if he looks like something that got stuck at the bottom of your shoes?_" I really had no escape plan. So I just ignored the bitch for now thinking _I'll cross that bridge when I come to it._

I wished my maid of honor would hurry up and try to calm me before I get a panic attack! Rosalie had gone to sneak a peek at the guests with Alice. I had no idea who was on the guest list to begin with. I had only one request, Jacob Black should not be allowed here to tarnish my new life. Charlie was understanding and accepted my request so I did not care much about rest of the invitees.

A knock on the door brought me out of my reverie and I looked up to see my father scan the room briefly before stepping in. He gave me a shaky smile and said, "You look beautiful, Bells. I'm very proud of you, kid. Thanks for trusting me enough to agree to do this," he choked the last words as his eyes glistened with unshed tears.

For once in my life I couldn't find any sarcastic remark. Instead, I felt my tears stinging my eyes as I hugged him. Just like I used to do as a little girl, I buried my face in his chest and said, "Thanks, Dad. You are the only man I would trust with my life."

Apparently Charlie had enough of emotions by then and asked me gruffly sounding like the brave father who was about to give away his only child, "Ok, then. Now, are you ready? Any later and your mother would cause a small flood in the church with her _eye-allergies_." I laughed at his serious tone.

I was about to join dad in making fun of mom when Rose suddenly rushed into the room, looking like she had seen a ghost, "Bell, Oh, God! I need to talk to you NOW!" I was shocked at her expression because, very little had the ability to freak Rosalie Hale out. I stuttered, "Rose, what…?"

However, I was interrupted again by Alice, this time. She whispered urgently, "Rosalie, it's our queue. Come on!" then she turned to me and ordered, "Bella, count to ten and then come out with Charlie, ok?" she looked like she was gonna burst from happiness. I shook off my nerves and nodded to my new sister as she dragged Rose out. The door closed behind them and I started to count in my head, "This is it! 1…2…3…4…5..."

I felt like I should bolt and flee the other way but the slight pressure from Charlie's hand calmed me to an extent. "You ready, Kid?" he asked again. I couldn't seem to find the right words to answer him so instead I just nodded and said, "Just don't let me fall, Dad." My dad kissed the top of my head and replied solemnly, "Never".

Suddenly the piano music changed and the traditional wedding march began playing. The door opened again and Charlie, clasping my hand tightly, escorted me to walk down the aisle.

**EPOV**

I was regretting my decision- not my decision to marry Isabella but the choice of Emmett as my best man. I don't think I could have chosen anyone worse even if I tried. For the last fifteen minutes he has been talking crap about Isabella taking a look at my '_ugly mug'_ (quote-unquote) and running for the hills resulting in me being left at the altar.

I was scared to the point of feeling nauseous as it was, thinking of meeting the woman I was going to pledge my life to. I really didn't need Emmett to freak me the fuck out. I was also on the edge thinking of what mom told me last night, before going to bed. She told me how Isabella had been my best friend from the ages of two to six, how mom had always wanted _the sweet girl_ to be her daughter, how I cried when we left for England because I was leaving my _Bellarina_.

Mom had been far off to the past while talking about those days, so she didn't see my eyes nearly pop out of my skull in a _Jim Carrey fashion_. If mom was right and I did use to call _her_ 'Bellarina' then my weird dream two nights ago would make it a memory. "_But how the hell Isabella becomes_ Bellarina_?_" that question was still unanswered.

I was so lost in my thoughts that I didn't notice the sudden hush in the guests. The sudden music made me take notice of my surroundings. I looked towards my mom and Reneé who were trying to control their happy tears by clutching each other's hands in death grips. My dad was standing a few feet behind me waiting to take his seat with his friend, Charlie.

Hearing Em's sudden cough I turned to look down at the aisle and saw my sister and another blond girl walking down to stand opposite side of the altar from Emmett. Alice looked very happy to be chosen as a bridesmaid. It was really thoughtful of Isabella to include my sister in her bridal party- I would have to thank her for it later. The blond was looking at me curiously. I thought she looked a bit familiar- like I had seen her somewhere before- but I couldn't remember where. And frankly, at that moment- I simply didn't care.

Because, all of a sudden the traditional Wagner's Wedding March was being played by the wrinkly old church hymn pianist. Eager to see the famous Isabella I looked up to the doors. The doors opened and my _bride_ was there- walking down the aisle towards me on her father's arm. She was looking down at her feet. "_Maybe worrying about what kind of heathen she was being pushed towards!"_ I grimaced at my line of thoughts.

Then I remembered Alice saying Isabella was shy, so maybe she was not making eye-contact due to her shyness. I couldn't see her face through the veil she had on. But I _could_ see her figure through her form-fitting gown and… _dare I say it?..._ I liked what I saw! I could see the way she was clutching her father's arm as if afraid to let him go. This seemed endearing to me. "_Really, Cullen? Now this stranger was _endearing _to you? Since you've decided to act like a pussy why don't you ask your mother for a spare hanky so that you can join her and Reneé's cry-baby party?"_ I tried to control my emotional feelings after that thought.

While I was having my internal sulking moment the procession had advanced and suddenly Charlie Swan was standing in front of me. He kissed his daughter on her cheek and put her hand on mine. As soon as our hands touched I felt a slight tingling.

I heard Isabella take a deep breath and let it out slowly. Then she looked up granting me the chance to gaze upon the face of my bride. As I looked at her face through her veil I felt like I had been punched in the stomach and at that moment I knew… God officially hates me because I was fucked for life!

**A/N: Sorry for the cliffy! But this chapter is already ridiculously long. It's above 4.5k words and most probably going to be one of the longest chapters of OTC.**

**So don't pout like Alice because the next chapter will be out within a few days.**

**Let me know your thoughts and review, please?**

**Take care.**

**Ann**


	12. Chapter 12: Married to… who, now?

**Disclaimer: No copyrights infringement intended. I don't own Twilight saga or any of its awesome characters. **

**A/N: Thanks to everyone who has reviewed, favorited, put on alert or simply... read OTC. You guys make my days a little bit brighter. Thank you.**

**Enjoy Chapter-12 and I'll see you at the end of this chapter! :-)**

**Chapter-12: Married to… who, now?**

**BPOV**

As Charlie walked me down the aisle, I kept a very tight grip on his arm and I couldn't help but look down at my feet. I knew most people would think of me as the shy, blushing bride but in reality, when Alice Cullen puts you in five-inch heels, keeping an eye on your footing is necessary.

I was vaguely aware of Charlie kissing my cheek and putting my hand in someone else's but I was still looking at my feet enclosed in silvery death-traps… I mean heels. However, the second my hand touched the new hand I felt a slight tingling sensation that originated from my hand and spread through my spinal cord. _Well, that was_ _weird, huh?_ My mind told me that I needed to calm down. So I slowly took a deep breath and let it out. After feeling sufficiently calm, I looked up to finally take a look at the face of the man holding my hand and then… I gasped!

"_What the…?_" even my mind couldn't finish the thought. Because, standing before me looking equally shocked was none other than the rudest and handsomest guy I had ever seen… _Mase_! "_It's official, Swan. Congratulations! You've finally lost your mind!_" I told myself, "_Or maybe Alice had made me drink too much last night that I am hallucinating! Or maybe I am dreaming. Yeah, that must be it._"

As I mentally tried to justify the vision before me I remembered having a pretty similar dream the night before. So, I must still be lying in my parents' living room. Then I decided, "_If I am indeed dreaming of marrying this Adonis or humanized version of David, I may as well enjoy myself. It's not like he's ugly or anything… nope, he's the very definition of male perfection… until he opens his mouth that is!"_

_'Dream_ _Mase_' was looking intently at me as if waiting for me to bolt. "_Well, Mister RA, two can play at this staring game!_" with that thought I returned his look and kept eye contact while the pastor droned on. I didn't even hear a single word of what Pastor Weber said. "_But it's all good… it's not like it's a real wedding or anything! It's just a stupid dream! So, just enjoy the view, Bella,"_ I told myself.

Suddenly through my staring contest with Mase, I felt him squeeze my hand slightly and zoned in just on time to hear the Pastor ask me _the_ question… you know the 'lawfully wedded one'? I didn't even try to think before answering. Feeling that it was a recurring dream, I gave the answer I gave the last time; I said '_I do_'.

Instantly, Mase's face broke into a smile. _Damn! Even in my dream he looks so gorgeous!_ I couldn't make myself to look at anything but his smiling face. When it was his turn to say the words, the left side of his mouth turned up just a bit more- making his smile a crooked one and his voice rang loud and clear dowsing me in it.

When Pastor Weber asked for the rings and they didn't magically appear on our hands I got confused. _Because, in dreams everything is supposed to appear as soon as you think of it, right?_ With confusion still coloring my thoughts I turned to take the ring from Rosalie as she leaned in and whispered softly, "Bell, I'm sorry. I tried to tell you who Edward really was but Alice pulled me away. I'm really sorry, Bella."

Rosalie's words were still running through my head as I looked back towards the _groom_ and I had a sudden moment of clarity. "_So…that means… Oh, fuck! Shit… fucking fuck! God! You're such an idiot, Swan!"_ I suddenly realized I wasn't having the same dream again. Edward _was_ Mase! And I, the queen of everything stupid, had actually said, _I Do_, to Edward Cullen aka Mase! _Kill me now!_

**EPOV**

I couldn't believe my luck when Isabella turned out to be Izzie. I didn't know if I should be happy or worried and kick my own ass; happy because the girl I was about to marry turned out to be the girl I had been thinking of every waking moment of the past few day… _literally_! But I was worried too… worried that because my utter rudeness and dick-headedness will send her running away from me- screaming- and suddenly I didn't want that. It was so strange! Now I was worried about the breaking off a wedding to which I had consented begrudgingly in the first place! It's just…_ her_. She made every straight-line of my life a tangled mess. And I suddenly _wanted_ that mess in my life. I wanted _her_ in my life.

I could tell she was as shocked to see me as I was her but slowly she had a thoughtful look on her face. Then after a heartbeat the look turned determined. I was completely mesmerized to see her- looking utterly breath-taking. I couldn't stop staring- _more like ogling_- at her. She kept eye contact with me the whole time. I wanted to get lost in her eyes. When the actual part of the wedding approached I couldn't help but squeeze her hand slightly. She didn't run away; no, instead she calmly said _those_ words- the words that would bind her to me… the words that would make her _mine- _and I couldn't help grinning like a loon who had recently escaped from an asylum. When my time came, I proudly vowed myself to her- because I suddenly wanted to be hers as well.

As soon as the Pastor asked for the rings, her look shifted to thoughtful again as she turned to take the ring from the blond. The blond- I now realized was her friend from the bar. _Guess that explains Emmett's coughing fit!_ I mentally noted. But one look at Isabella's face drove everything else from my mind.

She had a tiny frown in her forehead. I suddenly had an insane urge to kiss it. But then her eyes got bigger and I understood that she was finally starting to freak out. _"Oh hell, Cullen, quickly put that ring on her finger. Then she would not be able to run away!"_ This time I agreed with the head above my shoulder.

So I quickly pulled her hand towards me and slipped the ring on her third finger. Then as the Pastor motioned her to do the same I put my hand forward. But she just kept staring at my hand. I was getting impatient and so I inched my finger closer towards the ring she was holding in her hand. Finally she seemed to snap out of it and hastily put the ring on my finger.

The pastor then pronounced us Man and Wife and finally asked me to kiss_ my bride_- something I had been fantasizing about for the last three nights and by then was desperate to do. However I was not a caveman, I would _not_ force myself upon any woman and definitely not my _wife. God! I love the sound of her being_ my wife! Even in my head I was starting to sound like a chick- and it was all because of her.

I looked into her eyes and saw they had gone wider- as if she hadn't anticipated the kiss in the end. Trying to calm her down, I slowly lifted my hands and cupped her face. Her wide eyed look was gone all of a sudden; rather a determination was taking the place of shock on her face. She hastily touched my arms as if she was going to stop me. And like that all my resolves about **_not being a caveman_** were gone. I tightened my hold on her face slightly and deliberately leaned in. She tried to turn her face to make me kiss her cheek instead but I held her chin and lifted her lips to mine. Then I slowly brushed my lips across hers. Testing the waters- knowing that if she backed away I would give her space no matter how much I wanted to kiss her.

But it looked like I didn't need to worry about that. Because as soon as our lips touched I felt her rigid body start to relax and I slackened my hold on her because her acceptance was precious to me… she was precious to me and I was afraid to hurt her by holding on to her too tightly. Slowly she started to respond to my kiss. Her hands travelled up my arms and went around my neck. _Holy Shit!_ _She is kissing me back like she meant it!_

I had to control my urge to deepen the kiss. Instead, I kissed her softly though my mind was telling to kiss her sweet lips off of her face but that would have to wait. This was our first kiss and I wanted it to be sweet and tender because _she_ deserved it- she deserved everything.

I have absolutely no idea how much time had passed since I started kissing her. But when I heard people starting to clap I knew I had to stop the kiss- that and the fact that I was feeling light-headed from lack of breathing. I slowly leaned back to take a look at my- wife, Isabella, or Izzie. I didn't even know who she was… all I knew was she was _mine_ and I would do everything in my power to erase the jackass of last week from her mind and win her heart.

We were both breathing heavily and she was looking at me with bright and confused eyes. She looked like she was looking for something. I figured we'd have the rest of our lives to talk so I winked at her and turned the both of us towards our family and friends, just as Emmett's booming voice announced, "Ladies and Gentlemen, I present to you for the first time- Mr. and Mrs. Edward Cullen!" The fact that I liked the sound of that scared me a little.

**BPOV**

Mrs. Edward Cullen! I was _Mrs. Edward Cullen_! "_Oh, God! This is bad… and mind shattering… and shocking… and not to mention… scary as fuck! I am married! To the rudest and most obnoxious guy I've ever met in my little sheltered life!"_ I kept saying in my mind.

He was so rude that he even kissed me by force when he clearly could see that I had no intention of kissing him. "_Oh how are you kidding, Swan? You liked it. Admit it!"_ my bitchy subconscious was right. I really couldn't bring myself to dislike him for that kiss. Because _that _was how I envisioned first kisses would be like. It was sweet and he was so careful in handling me as if I was made of the most delicate crystal.

While I was having these conflicting thoughts running wild in my head he had turned us towards the guests, tucked my hand on the crook of his arm and was now walking us down the end of the aisle- where our parents were waiting for us. I barely registered being kissed and hugged by my mother as my mind was still reeling from what had happened.

I was snapped back in the reality when soft arms enclosed me in her loving embrace and I heard Esme say, "My darling girl, I can't believe you are finally- in true sense of the word- my daughter. I've wanted you as my daughter from the moment I saw your beautiful face. I've always loved you as much as I love my Alicia, even when I was in England. Now you are legally my daughter." Her words brought tears to my eyes- _thank God Rose put water-proof make up on me! _It's not like cared for make up much but the bride turning up, looking like an emo chick or a panda bear- would certainly have caused a sensation in the wedding reception! I hugged Esme tightly and then looked at Rose over her shoulder. I needed my best friend; one look at me and she nodded with understanding.

As Esme let go of me Rosalie approached us saying, "Ok, sappy people, we should get going to the reception to congratulate the happy couple!" Her wording made everyone laugh. She gave us some time to settle down and then continued, "What I was going to say was… I think we should start for the reception. Because, some of us have to get back to Seattle tonight." There was a murmur of assent as everyone started to exit the church.

My mom started to pull me with her when Rose intervened saying, "Reneé, I think I need to adjust Bell's face before leaving. I'm sure no one would want the beautiful bride to look snotty and blotchy in the pictures! Why don't you guys go ahead to the Cullens' place? We'll follow you." Ugh! I almost forgot… the reception was to be held in the Cullens' huge-ass house. I mean, I didn't know it was 'huge-ass' seeing that I never stepped in the place; but hearing my mom's accounts it was supposed to be a monstrous house! _I'll be in his turf!_ The thought made me panic even more.

I was about to shout at my mom to leave us so that I can properly cuss my luck when she came up to give me one more hug and then left with Dad. _I guess Rosalie convinced her to leave._ Now the only people left in the church were my-pathetic-self, Rosalie, Alice, the best man- who was the Muscle Guy- and _him_. Rose looked at them and asked to be excused for a moment before leading me to the dressing room.

As soon as the door closed I leaned against it. Rose touched my shoulder and asked softly, "Bell, you okay?"

I couldn't help but whimper, "I don't know, Rose. I don't fucking know anything! Ugh! Why does this type of shit _always_ happen to me? What did I fucking do to deserve _this_? I can't believe it's actually happened!"

Rose looked thoughtful for a moment as if she was preparing to answer my lamentations. "Umm…," before she could utter another syllable and piss me off even more I snapped at her, "I was being rhetoric, Rose! You don't need to tell me how much of shit-luck I have." She nodded sheepishly.

I groaned and whined again, "Oh, God! What do I do now? What should I do now?" After counting ten in my head when she was still silent I looked at her. She had a blank expression on her face as if waiting for my rant to be over. I hissed at her, "Damn it, Rose, this question was _not_ rhetorical. Help me out here. You're my best friend. So, tell me, what should I do now?"

Finally it looked like her brain engines were starting as she said, "Well, you can act as if nothing had happened, and you are meeting him for the first time in your life. Or, you can call him out on his dick-headedness that night… 'Cause let me tell ya, Girl, that was some kiss I saw in there."

"Wait, you think…," before I could finish I was interrupted by Alice. She knocked on the door and said, "Bella, we need to leave now if we want to be on time for the reception." As I face-palmed, Rosalie hollered for Alice to come in and help her make me look human. "_Seeing how Edward did not turn out to be a troll-look-alike, I probably did look like one with all this panicking!_" I thought. Alice came in and jolted me out of my unpleasant thoughts.

Alice took my hands and gushed, "Bella, I can't tell you how happy I am for you guys. I now have a sister!" she squealed. I managed a weak smile in response because I couldn't tell her that to me her super handsome brother was the evil incarnate!

When Alice pronounced my makeup and hair to be immaculate we joined the guys outside the church. There were two cars and five of us. So, _naturally_, Alice proclaimed that in keeping with tradition, the best man and the bridesmaids should take one car leaving the bride and groom- namely me and _him_- to take the other one.

Edward- or Mase, whomever I had married- opened the passenger side door of a shiny silver Volvo for me while Emmett led the girls to a bright red jeep. I didn't say a word to him… in fact I didn't even look at him- as I got in the car. He closed the door behind me and then quickly got in the driver seat to start up the car.

After two minutes of silent driving he started, "Hey, so… listen…" but of course, I decided that exact moment to take Rose's second option and asked him while looking down at my lap without letting him say anything, "Why did you lie?"

He stopped talking and I couldn't help but look up to see his reaction. A slight crease had appeared on his forehead as instead of answering my question he asked, "Lie! When did I lie?"

I huffed and reminded him, "That night at the bar. Your friend called you '_Mase_' but your name is Edward, right?"

His lips quirked upwards and the crease disappeared as he said, "First, he's not my friend. Well, I guess he _is_ my best friend but… he's also my cousin, Emmett. Second, I did _not_ tell you that my name was Mase. So, you can't call me a liar. And, third, Em just likes to push my buttons by calling me by that stupid name. Mase is actually short for Masen."

I guess I really couldn't call him a liar then. _Damn! Why can't he be a liar so that I could be _not attracted_ to him?_ For some unfathomable reason, I wanted to hear his voice again so I asked again, "So, what? You name is Masen?"

He slowed the car down and stopped by the side of the road and held his hand out, smiling that crooked smile again- you know the one that made me want to kiss him and strangle him at the same time? Yeah, that one- and then he said, "Hello. I am Edward Anthony Masen Cullen. It's high time we officially met, I think."

I silently took his hand and felt that weird zing go through me again. I quickly dropped his hand and looked down at my lap again. _This is freaking weird! I mean, I don't know the guy… but we just got married. What am I supposed to say to him?_

I was so lost in my thoughts that I didn't even answer his greeting with a formal one. When he noticed my lack of verbosity he asked a little hesitantly, "So… I guess you are Isabella? But you seemed to prefer Izzie, right?"

Suddenly his question made me mad. If I didn't know him, he certainly didn't know anything about me too. So I narrowed my eyes at the hideous nickname and snapped, "No, you're wrong. Yes, I am Isabella Swan. But I prefer Bella."

He looked stunned at my outburst for a second and then whispered in a voice so low that I had to strain my ears to catch his words, "Hmm, Bella… Bellarina. Looks like mom was right."

Hearing him mumble to himself did it for me. "_I knew it, this guy's fucking mad. That would explain his one-eighty turn in attitude today. I mean which sane person mumbles to himself? This is what I get! A freakishly handsome husband who's completely insane! I'm so gonna kill Charlie…_"

As I was mentally plotting my father's death another horrifying thought struck me, "_Wait a fucking second! Did he just mutter the name 'Bellarina'? That what the little boy in my dreams called me!_" I narrowed my eyes at him and asked slowly, "What did you just say?" He seemed shocked by the fact that I had heard his insane yammering and looked out the windshield, trying to avoid my eyes.

He seemed to think for a moment before saying timidly, "I just said that the name Bella suits you. I like it. It's _way_ better than Izzie." He was still looking anywhere but at me. So, I knew he was lying. But I didn't say anything about it. Because, how can you just label a guy liar and then demand to know whatever the fuck he was thinking when he just said he liked your name? Besides, I didn't want him to think of me as a nagging wife… _yet_.

So, I gave him a nod and looked out the window.

After a few minutes of silence he started saying, "Listen, I had Emmett load your luggage in the trunk of my car from the car your dad brought over. So we'll be able to leave immediately after the function. Alright?"

I looked incredulously at him and ask, "Are you for real? You… you just… ugh! Have you forgotten the way you behaved with me a few nights back? How can you even _expect_ me to go to your home?" I knew I was being a bitch. He had been quite the gentleman since we got inside the car. But can you blame me for retracting the deal I accepted before knowing he was… _him_?

_Mase_ visibly cringed at my accusatory tone and said in a voice that you would use on a cornered animal, "Bella, can I call you Bella?" When I didn't answer him he continued, "Well, Isabella then, listen I know I was a huge jerk to you that night and I can't tell you how sorry I am for that. But will you please give me another chance? How about we make this our official meeting? Please, Isabella. I am just as surprised to see you as you were back there to see me. Will you let me correct myself now?"

I made the mistake of looking at his eyes. Those intense emerald green eyes that had seemed so cold a few days ago now looked hot enough to melt me. They were smoldering, making me feel dizzy. I couldn't make myself look away. I couldn't say '_no_' to him. He blinked after what seemed like an eternity making me realize that I was practically gawking at the guy.

I cleared my throat in an attempt to slow down my racing heart and replied him, "Okay. I will give you a second chance. Because I'm sure my first impression on you was not a good one either. But on one condition." He looked anxiously at me and I broke into a smile, "You have to call me Bella. And I'm sorry for yelling at you just now. Guess my second impression was a bad one too, huh?"

He shook his head and said, "I deserved all that you said. Thank you, Bella. Shall we go join the party in our honor?" The smile playing on his lips made me smile back and I nodded.

He took my hint and sped through the one-oh-one to get to his parents' house- the reception venue. When we reached the place the jeep was already there. As Edward drove towards the big white house I gulped. It was not a monstrosity- it was the most beautiful house I had ever seen. There seemed to be three stories in the house. But its pristine white color gave it a heavenly aura. This house screamed grace and perfection… just like Esme Cullen.

I managed to close my mouth just as the car came to a stop. Edward opened my door and I stepped out of the car. I was surprised to see him behave like a gentleman and not the Neanderthal I met two days ago! He ignored my look of surprise and reached for my hand but at the last moment seemed to think better of it. Instead he gesture to me with his outstretched hand to come with him. I can't say I wasn't a bit disappointed at the loss of the opportunity to hold his hand. But I shrugged the feeling off because it was irrational. I followed our friends and walked beside my _husband_ to the Cullens' backyard to endure the next phase of torture.

**A/N: So… what do you think? **

**I know most of you are a bit disappointed with the chapter lengths and frankly, when I read a story I want longer chapter as well. But between working in lab almost 12hours a day, five days a week on my research, I really don't get much time to write. So the chapter lengths are gonna be limited to 4k words for now I think.**

**One more thing guys, English isn't my first language and has not been my medium of studying until I started university. So I am a bit worried about my language skills. If you find any hideous grammatical errors please let me know so that I can correct them, okay?**

**Now that I have finished my ridiculously long A/N click on the review button and let me know what you thought about the chapter, please?**

**Take care.**

**Ann**


	13. Chapter 13: Seriously… who are you?

**Disclaimer: No copyrights infringement intended. I don't own Twilight saga or any of its awesome characters.**

**A/N: Thanks to everyone who has reviewed, favorited, put on alert or simply... read OTC. You guys make my days a little bit brighter. Thank you. Now let's join the wedding celebrations, shall we?**

**Enjoy Chapter-13 and I'll see you at the end of this chapter! :-)**

**Chapter-13: Seriously… who are you?**

**EPOV**

Reaching my parents' house, I opened the car door for Bella and she looked up at me with surprise written all over her face. As if no one had ever done these sorts of things for her. _Well, she'll have to get used to it; because I will treat her like the lady she is. That's what Esme Cullen taught her son after all._ My subconscious smirked at me saying, "_Where did your _gentlemanly_ ways go on Wednesday, shit-head?_" but I tuned the idiot out and led Bella towards the backyard. I found myself reaching for her hand, wanting to hold it to show the whole world that she belonged to me; but at the last moment I thought of how uncomfortable she must be with the situation. So, I digressed and simply decided to walk beside her.

As we walked towards the reception party I thought back at our conversation on the way. Last night with every memory mom had shared with me one thing had became blatantly obvious- Isabella and I had been inseparable since birth until my family had relocated to England.

Today when she told me that she prefers to be called Bella, I remembered the little brunette girl from my dreams and the mystery of _Bellarina_ reminding me of Izzie was explained. This meant mom was right. We _had_ known each other when we were kids. I was happy to find a connection between us besides the one formed by our parents. But I did not want to share my revelation with her just yet. I wanted her to like me as me not the boy who _used to_ be her playmate while she was still in her diapers. So, when she had asked me about my musings, I told her that I thought her name was pretty. The narrowing of her eyes did tell me that she knew I was lying, but I was grateful that she let it go.

Before entering the backyard I offered Bella my arm and she daintily put her hand on the crook of my arm, blushing furiously. We entered the backyard through the flowery arch Alice had put there and Bella gasped. I looked at her to see her wide curious eyes taking everything in.

In truth, the place did look pretty. Alice had worked her ass off with my mother to make the place look like a piece of Eden. Starting with a gigantic white tent decorated with twinkling fairy lights and white flowers, the backyard was beyond recognition. I could even see blue and white paper lanterns hanging overhead lighting up the whole way towards the tent from the driveway.

For a few seconds I mused how on earth little Alice could have reached so far up to hang them but then realized that being planning-freak she would've had arranged for wedding decorators to help with this stuff. Figuring I should thank my sister I was about to call out to her. However, before I could utter a single word, Bella had let go of my arm and was hugging Alice.

I knew Alice already loved Bella yet I was afraid her exuberant spirit would put Bella off. But when I heard Bella say, in a sweet bell-like voice, "Oh, Alice! You really are an awesome sister. It looks so beautiful. Thanks, Allie!" and Alice's resulting squeal, my heart swelled. My wife already loved my sister. "_Yeah, and she probably loves your whole family and just hates your guts- since you played the role of the arrogant bastard that night so well!"_ I internally sighed. I would have to make it up to her.

Hearing Alice's signature squeal the guests started turning towards the entrance and then the clapping started again when they caught our sight. "_Fucking, clapping, Morons! I am in the middle of a life-altering crisis and all you can do is put your hands together and fucking clap?_" I wanted to yell at them but the moment Bella stepped back from Alice and slipped her hand in my arm while smiling shyly at the ground, I couldn't bring myself to utter a single word. I was tongue-tied. A simple touch of her hand calmed me down! _And that so doesn't make you a pussy, Cullen!_ My already over-worked mind yelled at me. But I ignored it. Because, all I could think of was how right it felt to have her beside me- as if her hand was made to fit in mine.

**BPOV**

"_What the fuck is happening to me? I don't even know this guy. But then why was I this comfortable to hold on to his arm- not to mention, in front of so many people? This just isn't like me!_" my mind was racing to figure it out. In the mean time Edward had walked us further in and I could take in the whole back of the house.

The Cullen house was sort of a mansion. The back-wall was not a wall at all; it was completely made of glass. As if it was where Cinderella should live with her Prince Charming! It was the most beautiful house I had ever seen. But the most surprising thing was the backyard- which was serving as the designated reception area; seeing what Alice had done to make it look so magical on such a short time made me give her a hug. _And that got you one step closer to being deaf, you daft!_ My inner bitch didn't appreciate Alice's squeals anymore than I do I guess.

Alice, Rosalie and Emmett led us towards a huge white tent. In the tent there was a dance floor, an open bar and what looked like fifty or so tables with place settings for four! "_Someone pinch me, I must be dreaming that I got teleported into one of those Harry Potter tents!"_ was my first thought. Everything was decorated in white and baby blue colors- because according to Alice those were our wedding colors. _Whatever that meant!_

**-OTC-**

The first half an hour of the party passed in a blur. We had to mingle with the guests- most of whom neither of us knew and most of whom happened to be our parents' friends. _Such a wonderful way to pass the time, isn't it? Thanking strangers for gracing your reception with their presence._

I don't know what I had expected when I gave _almost _carte blanche to my dad with the guest list, but seeing Billy Black sitting by the bar at my wedding was not a part of that expectation. The sight of him made me want to either throw up on Edward or turn back and run as far away from the Black family as possible.

However, before I could choose either option, we heard Billy's voice call my name. I must have cursed out loud because when I looked up helplessly at Edward; one of his eyebrows was arched upwards silently questioning my response. I just shook my head and cursing my innate good manners I led him towards the father of the ass-hole.

When we reached Billy, the old man was sneering at us with a drink in his hand. That moment I hated Billy Black right down to his stupid wheelchair. I tried to control my anger and decided to play my role as part of the happy couple. So I slowly took Edward's hand and entwined my fingers through his trying my best to ignore the constant electric feel of his touch. Then I gave Billy a sickly sweet smile and greeted him, "Hey, Billy, how are you? May I introduce my husband, Dr. Edward Cullen?"

I then turned to Edward, who seemed surprised but pleased at my holding his hand, and continued, "Edward, this is Charlie's _good_ friend, Billy Black." I intentionally put emphasis on the _good friend_ part to make the _Satan's procreator_ understand that he was not my father's _best friend_ anymore. Billy's scowl told me he had caught my hint.

Edward didn't seem to notice the scowl because he leaned forward to shake Billy's hand and then said 'hello' politely. "_See, father-of-Brutus, that's how a gentleman behaves!_" I mentally boasted when a thought crossed my mind, "_Did I really just think of_ Edward Cullen _as a_ gentleman? _Whoa! He must be doing some hoo-doo on me!"_ my frown at the thought must have made Billy think that I was thinking about his Satan of a Son.

He looked up at me with venom in his eyes and said coldly, "Don't worry, Bella. Jacob is not coming here. My son doesn't go anywhere where he is not appreciated. We, the Blacks, are quite proud."

I couldn't help the sarcastic remark that escaped my mouth immediately, "Billy, the last time I checked this was a wedding reception. This is _mine and Edward's_ wedding reception; not a Jacob Black appreciation party. Because, trust me, if it was, I would be the last person to be here." Thankfully, I managed to get it all out without losing my cuss-filter.

I dared not look at Edward's face. "_He must be thinking that Jacob was my ex or some shit!"_ I mentally face-palmed. As I was about to turn around, Billy said, "However, Bella, I cannot say that I am not disappointed in you. Jacob had been your best friend for a long time and now you are treating him like a dirty little secret?" I literally felt one of my veins burst in my brain.

I snapped back with as much spite I could muster while keeping it socially appropriate, "Exactly, Billy. Jacob was my best _friend_. FRIEND, Billy. That was all he ever was. I _never_ said anything otherwise!" My legs were shaking with suppressed anger which Edward, the silent spectator, seemed to notice. He quickly let go of my hand and surprisingly I felt the loss of his warm touch. But before I could look at him to see his expression he wrapped one arm around my waist.

Billy's eyes seemed to zero in where Edward was holding me. Edward however, seemed not to notice Billy's glare and said calmly, "Excuse us, Mr. Black. _My wife_ needs to sit down. She's had a very hectic day. I hope you will stay for dinner." Hearing him call me _his wife_ possessively made my heart do some crazy acrobats which made no sense.

Before, Billy could say anything else Edward had turned us around and led me towards Rosalie and Alice, all the while keeping his firm hold on my waist. I felt him lean towards me and whisper softly in my ear, "Hey, are you okay?"

His breath tickled my ear and I was surprised how good it felt when he sounded so concerned for me. I looked up at him shyly and replied in a similar tone, "Yeah. Sorry about that. The _Blacks_ are kind of fond of bull-shitting."

As soon as the words left my mouth I mentally slapped myself. Now he had an opening to ask me about Jacob! I so didn't want to start explaining that shit in the middle of the party. I felt Edward stiffen slightly and prepared myself to recount the most humiliating moment of my life.

**EPOV**

This was getting ridiculous! I didn't even know the girl and yet I was feeling protective of her. When the wheelchair guy hinted at something about Bella and his son, Jacob, I experienced the first bout of jealousy. I didn't know the Blacks and yet I wanted to get restraining orders against the family so that none of them could come anywhere near my Bella. "_Whoa, Cullen, hold it! MY Bella? Seriously, how can you feel so possessive of someone you just met?_" I mentally chastised myself.

The truth is, when she told me she was okay her voice made me want to hold her in my arms and never let go. But then she uttered that remark about the _Black family_ and gave me an opening to ask her about them.

However, before I could start asking her about it a pale blonde haired guy just swooped in and swept Bella in a hug. "_What the… ?_" before I could tear the blonde's arms off for daring to touch _my_ wife I heard Bella giggle. So she wasn't uncomfortable with his greeting. _As long as she's okay I would try to tolerate him,_ I decided- _try_ being the operative word. But I still didn't like the fact that he could make her giggle while I couldn't.

The guy had _finally_ let go of _my_ Bella and was saying, "So sorry I'm late, sis. I am a shitty brother. I didn't even get to see you walk down the aisle. I'm so sorry." Now I was confused. I thought Bella was an only child. So where did this brother come from? I looked at my news agent or spy, Alice, for answer but she was busy openly gawking at the guy. _Sheesh! The kid has no subtlety!_ Looked like I'd have to find another source for 'Bella-news'.

I turned back to the guy in question and noticed he looked like a male version of Bella's friend, Rosalie. _Hmm… they _have _to be twins!_ Bella's voice cut through my musings as she beamed at the guy and said, "It's ok, Jazz. You are still the best kid brother I could ever ask for. And I'm sure you will get to see Rose walk down the aisle when the time comes."

The guy- _Jazz_, scoffed obnoxiously, "Yeah, right. You really think she's gonna settle for only _one _guy? I don't think polygamy is still approved in our society." Rosalie slapped the guy on the back of his head and hissed, "Shut it, Geek-per!" Jazz just shook his head at her and then looked back at Bella and said, "Well, I gotta say it, Bells, you make a beautiful bride!"

Bella's cheeks became flushed which in turn made me want to touch it to feel the warmth of her. I was so engrossed in my blushing bride I almost missed Jazz's question, "Now, Bells, where is this big time doctor that's trying to steal you away?"

Bella looked at me and blushed again as she said, "Jazz, this is my husband, Edward Cullen. Edward this is Jasper Hale, Rose's kid twin brother and my pseudo brother." I felt a ridiculous gin stretching on my face when I heard her introduce me as _her husband_.

"DUDE!" Jasper _almost_ yelled, looking at me with a huge ass grin, "So, you are my brother-in-law now? Cool!" Then he proceeded to give me a one-armed hug- _you know, the manly ones? Yeah, those-_ because my other arm had already gotten back to its rightful place- around Bella's waist.

I was a bit taken aback by his enthusiasm and replied awkwardly, "Hey. Umm… do I know you? I'm sorry but I can't seem to remember meeting you before."

Jasper opened his mouth to say something but was cut-off by his sister, Rosalie's remonstration, "Jazz, stop making Eddie feel awkward. There's already enough awkwardness here as it is!" I grimaced at the annoying nickname and gave Emmett a death glare. No doubt my smart-ass cousin put her up to this. Rosalie, however didn't acknowledge my grimace and simply said to me, "Edward, we all live in Seattle. So it's only that natural you guys have met in passing or something."

Beside me I heard Bella mutter, "Yeah, probably at a bar… while harassing unsuspecting citizens for getting out of their homes!" I couldn't help but look down and smirk at her. _It seems like she hasn't been able to forget about that encounter. Good, it means I have been on her mind since that meeting._ I was suddenly feeling elated at the thought of her thinking of me.

My elation was short-lived though. Because, Alice seemed unable to accept being ignored any longer. She propelled herself forward and chirped, "Hi, I'm Alice. Since my stupid brother seems to have forgotten his manners I would have to introduce myself. I'm Edward's and this big guy, Emmett's, little sister and Bella's new sister. It's a pleasure to meet you, Jasper Hale. " Emmett rolled his eyes at me at her obvious attempt at flirting.

Jasper, however didn't seem to mind Alice's ill-masked flirtation. Instead, he took her hand and kissed it saying, "The pleasure is all mine, Ma'am." His stupid drawl made me want to punch his face for flirting back at my little sister.

I could feel mine and Emmett's expressions turn hostile as Em took Alice's hand and commanded, "Ed, the dinner is about to be served. We should take our seat at the head table. C'mon, Bro." Any other time I would've given him hell for thinking about food all the time. But now all I wanted to do was take my sister away from Jasper Hale.

I just nodded while still keeping my eyes narrowed on Jasper. I let go of Bella's waist and held out my hand for her. She gave me another one of her shy smiles and took my hand and thus calming me down once again.

**BPOV**

I could see Edward's protective side when Jasper started to flirt with Alice and it was… beyond _hot_! I never thought I would think of someone like this who was not an unattainable celebrity crush. _But then again, you've never met Edward Cullen before,_ I reminded myself. This man was turning my world upside down already!

When Edward led me to the table holding my hand and then proceeded to hold out my chair for me our mothers looked like they were going to burst out with ill-suppressed glee. I secretly rolled my eyes at their match-making skills.

Dinner passed without anymore incident, while Alice had been sandwiched between her brothers to make it impossible for Jasper to so much as look at her without being glared at. After dinner it was time for the speeches.

First to go was Carlisle. He welcomed me into his family and then advised Edward to treat me as the treasure I was. When I saw Edward nod slightly from the corner of my eye I blushed. I was blushing so much today I was scared that my cheeks will be red forever!

Next up was Emmett, Edward's best man. He first hi5ed Edward on having one of the most beautiful women he (Edward) had ever had the good fortune of meeting as his wife. On queue I blushed. As I peeked at him, I saw Edward smirk at me. _Ugh! How can he even make such roguish gesture seem attractive?_ I was brought out of my not-so-chaste thoughts by Emmett's finishing words, "Bella, I hope you've always wanted a big brother. If not, then too bad, because you won't be able to shake me off easily. So, welcome to the family, Li'l Sis!" His words made my eyes well up a little as I offered him a smile.

When Rosalie, my maid of honor, gave her toast, she directed her words at Edward. She openly threatened him that just because I didn't have any brothers did not mean that he won't get his ass kicked if he ever hurt me. After threatening to cause him serious bodily harm she turned and winked at me. I couldn't help but laugh out loud. The panicked expression on Edward's face only made me laugh harder. Emmett's guffaw from Edward's other side made me wonder if Rose had finally gotten to make friends with the Muscle.

After dinner, Alice brought out the two-tiered wedding cake. Edward gripped my hand over the knife and cut it for us. As we were told to feed each other cake for the camera he gave me a smug look. And I, being the immature idiot, wiped the frosting from my hand on his cheek without giving it a second thought. He seemed shocked at the move at first and then slowly a wicked smile spread on his face as he wiped some of the frosting off his cheek and licked his finger clean. I was taken aback with the intense look in his eyes and quickly looked down, blushing furiously.

When a chair was placed in the centre of the dance floor I knew it was the time for the garter ceremony- the time I was dreading the most. During all this time I had managed to shimmy the stupid thing from its original place at my mid-thigh down to my calf.

As everyone started to cheer for Edward to get his head under my dress to get the garter off, he knelt before me. I quickly pulled up my gown slightly to reveal to him that it won't be necessary. Still he didn't move. He looked into my eyes as if silently asking my permission to take it off. How he went from being a smug and cocky jerk to a perfect gentleman was beyond my understanding. I should've said no… for the stunt he put me through with the cake… for saving myself from blushing like a tomato… just… for the heck of it… to see what he did when I declined him.

However, I found myself nodding before I could form the word _no_ to stop him. At my nod he leaned in and took my garter off using his teeth. As his nose brushed my calf, I shivered feeling a jolt of electricity go through my spine. And I found myself asking my racing heart, "_Seriously what is he doing to me?"_

**EPOV**

The moment I knelt down before her and then she revealed her slender pale calf to my eyes, I wanted to brush light kisses along her calf-muscles. After getting the first taste of her lips I was desperate to taste her skin. But I was going to be a gentleman from now on. So I told my treacherous dick to flag down and took off her garter. I did not know just how _hard_ taking off a simple band could be! (Pun totally intended)

When the DJ took on the stage, I politely asked Bella for our first dance and suddenly the brave woman I had seen till now looked scared. She took my proffered hand and reached up to whisper in my ear, "Edward, I can't dance." I couldn't help but smile at her innocent admission.

I kept a smile on my face and tightened my hold on her hand as I replied, "Don't worry, Bella. I can. Just hold on to me and follow my lead. I won't let you fall, I promise." When she gave me a hesitant nod I took her in my arms and led her to the dance floor.

After a few stiff moments, she relaxed in my arms and looked up to give me a shy smile; then she slowly raised her hands to put them around my neck. During the dance we didn't say a word to each other. I was content to simply hold her and breathe in her smell. She smelled like a mixture of flowers and strawberry and something distinctively unique.

All too soon the song ended and my dad approached us to request a dance with her. I squeezed her waist tighter once more before relinquishing her over to my father. She gave me another shy smile before letting go of my hand and taking off with Carlisle.

I couldn't understand her. She had looked like a sexy hell-cat that night- like she was sex personified. But tonight… tonight I had seen her go through so many mood swings! Tonight I had seen her happy, angry, playful, scared, bashful, and now… shy. _Seriously, who is this woman and what the hell is she doing to me?_

**A/N: Thoughts on the reception? I should probably let you guys know that wedding receptions in my country is way different from the US. So I used the small knowledge I have gathered from too much book reading and TV watching to portray the party. Was it a hit or a miss?**

**Let me know your thoughts on the reception and review, please?**

**Untill next time... take care.**

**Ann**


	14. Chapter 14: Step Into My Life

**Disclaimer: No copyrights infringement intended. I don't own Twilight saga or any of its awesome characters.**

**A/N: Thanks to everyone who has reviewed, favorited, put on alert or simply... read OTC. You guys make my days a little bit brighter. Thank you. **

**PLEASE READ THE A/N AT THE END OF THE CHAPTER**

**Enjoy Chapter-14 and I'll see you at the end of this chapter! :-)**

**Chapter-14: Step Into My Life**

**BPOV**

After leaving Edward, I had to dance to a _lot_ of people- I slipped- they slipped- we trod on many toes- but none of the dances were as intense as the first one. We had danced only for a few minutes but in that short time I had realized that my husband was a dangerous man.

It's not because he's an axe-murderer or a mafia boss but because he seemed to have an ability to incapacitate me with one single look. He was intolerable when he was being a jack-ass but when he tried to be a gentleman he had the power to render me a speechless, blushing idiot. So I decided, for the sake of my sanity, I had to stay away from him.

The next hour passed in a blur of congratulations, hugs, pats on the back and suddenly I found myself in my sobbing mother's arms. _I guess it's time to go_, I thought as I tried to stem mom's tears. After promising for the fourth time that I would call her every other day, Reneé finally let go of me, only to turn towards Edward.

I was embarrassed by her behavior but Edward took it in a stride. He simply smiled and hugged my mother back- promising her to take good care of me. I couldn't help but wonder, "_If he's so good with my family now, then why was he behaving like a jerk the other night?_"

My thoughts were interrupted by Carlisle, who was standing next to me, whispering, "Bella dear, go to your father. The guy is my best friend; but I swear, he's an idiot if he thinks hiding would spare him from saying goodbye." I offered him a sad smile before going to look for my dad.

Charlie was standing beside a tree when I gently put my hand on his shoulder and called, "Dad?" As he turned hearing me shaky voice, his red-rimmed eyes told me the reason behind his hiding. The sight of my usually nonchalant father's silent tears made my heart clench and I threw myself into his arms choking out a soft, "Oh, Dad! Are you okay?"

He hugged me tightly as he replied in a gruff voice, "Yeah, Bells. I'm fine. You know I have allergic problems."

I shook my head at his antics and said, "Of course, Dad. I love you, Daddy. You are the coolest dad ever. You know that, right?"

Charlie just tightened his hold on me and said after a few seconds, "I know, Kid. I love you too, Bella." Then he sighed and added, "It's just… it's gonna be strange- you not living under my roof."

"Dad, I haven't actually lived under your roof for nearly five years now." I tried to go on to my old remedy for awkward moments- a lame joke.

"That's just semantics and you know it, Kiddo. It's just the realization that from now on you won't come crying to me if you have a nightmare. Or want me to check your closet for the boogieman, you know? It's like my little girl is suddenly growing up!" he croaked.

I looked up at my dad wanting me tell him that I haven't asked him to check under my bed for over a decade now. But the crushed look in his eyes suddenly did make me feel like the little girl he was talking about and I burrowed in his chest. I sniffed and then told him, "Dad, I'm never gonna stop needing you to look out for me. Trust me; I'll always be your little girl, okay?"

Charlie managed a small smile this time as he nodded, "Okay, Kid. You know no matter where you live this will always be your home, right?" I choked out a soft, "Right" before hugging my dad tightly once more and then letting him go.

I felt like I was not only saying goodbye to my parents but my life in Forks too. All these years I had managed to come home for the weekend but now I was going to have a new life, a new job detail. This thought scared me. Because although I had been saying goodbye on every Sunday; this one somehow felt more- permanent.

**EPOV**

Seeing Bella say goodbye to her parents didn't make any sense. It was evident from all the sniffing that both Bella and her dad were crying. I raked my brain but everything pointed out to the fact that Bella didn't live with her parents anymore._ So, it's not like they haven't said goodbye before!_

When my dad gestured me towards Bella and her father, I figured I should say goodbye to Charlie as well. I walked towards them and lightly touched Bella's shoulder. I don't know if she understood it was me or not but she leaned into my touch. This made me smile thinking, "_At least she's not repulsed by me. She _should_ feel comfortable with me._"

My father-in-law nodded to me and then asked Bella to give us a second. She narrowed her eyes at him before complying.

As soon as Bella was out of hearing range I spoke up trying to dispel Charlie's worries just like I had done with Reneé, "Sir, I promise I will take good care of her. She won't ever want for anything."

Charlie gave me a weak smile before saying, "Son, I trust you to do just that. And Edward, trust me when I say if you make her shed _one_ drop of tear you will have to answer to me, the Chief of Police of Forks. Am I clear?"

I gulped. "_Seriously, what's with all the threats? First the best friend threatens me and now daddy-dearest? If you wanna live, you better not fuck this up, Cullen! Thank fuck Bella hasn't told him about our previous encounter!"_ I internally told myself. Then I weakly replied to Charlie's question, "Crystal, Sir."

He seemed to enjoy my near pant-wetting expression and a broad smile stretched across his face as he clapped me on the shoulder saying, "Good. And by the way… you can call me Charlie." I resisted the urge to salute him like a good little soldier and managed to nod.

After our _talk_, Charlie led me towards Bella. She looked up at us with worried eyes and I automatically gave her a grin- happy to see her concerned glance. Then I asked her, "Are you ready?" She gave me her shy smile and nodded, making my pants get a little tighter to see her blush- again._ What I wouldn't give to feel the heat radiating off those blushing cheeks! But I need to make a good impression on her first- make her forget about the ass-wipe she met at the bar._

As I led my bride to my car the _rice shower_ began. I shielded her from it which again earned me a confused glance from her. As if she was confused by my politeness. I vowed to myself that I would change her first impression of me as soon as possible, before getting in the driver's seat. At twilight, we started our long journey towards our new life.

About half an hour into the drive Bella spoke up obviously trying to fill the awkward silence, "Umm… did… ah… did Alice tell you that I… uh… requested a separate bedroom?" Her stammering was so adorable. As soon as the thought passed through my head I mentally chided myself, _"God, Cullen! Could you sound anymore whipped? Try to make her comfortable before you start thinking with your lower head!_"

I took my own advice and tried to calm her down, "Hey, relax. Yeah, Alice did tell me about your _temporary_ request. Your room is ready and waiting for you." She blushed at my emphasis on the living arrangements being temporary and whispered a quiet '_thanks_'.

Another half an hour of awkward silence later I groaned at myself, "_This is getting ridiculous. Why the fuck can't I find any topic to talk to her about? Should I apologize about Wednesday? No, better leave it for when we were not driving. You know safety first and all that! Besides I am a chicken-shit. Umm… got it! Music! I'll use the universal ice-breaker of music! You're a fucking genius, Cullen!_" So, I asked her if she wanted me to put on some music and she shrugged. I took that as a _yes_ and turned on the CD player.

Soon Debussy filled the car. She suddenly looked up at me and asked, "Is that…?" I grimaced; _she must think I have a fixation to _old man _songs… like Em always complains_. Then I replied, "Yeah, it's… Debussy. I don't know if you…"

I was about to offer her to change the track when she quickly turned up the volume a bit and said, "I _do_ know. In fact, _Claire De Lune_ is one of my favorite Debussy pieces." I was surprised by her admission which must have showed on my face. Suddenly her eyes flashed with suppressed anger as she gritted her teeth and said, "What? So, I like classical music. So, what? Sue me!"

I chuckled at her outburst seeing the hell-cat once more and replied cheekily, "You know, seeing that you are the Police Chief's daughter, I don't think suing you would give you enough troubles."

She huffed and turned to look out the window making me feel like a jerk. I tried to salvage our discussion by saying, "It's my favorite too, you know."

She just shrugged and muttered, "Whatever_"_ acting all nonchalant but I swear I could hear a smile in her voice.

We again succumbed to silent driving. However, this time the silence wasn't awkward and I didn't feel the need to break it. When we stopped at a red light I chanced a glance at her and saw the reason for her silence. She must have been really tired after the day's emotional turbulence because she was fast asleep in my passenger seat.

In the sodium street lights she looked so peaceful, so excruciatingly beautiful that I had to thank my lucky stars for granting me with the presence of this goddess in my life. I had never loved anyone other than my family but Bella made me feel _something_ which told me that I may fall in love with her- someday. _Let's just hope she feels the same way about me when she gets to know me. A guy can hope, right?_

**-OTC-**

The rest of the drive passed with Bella's soft breathing and my looking at her face whenever the car stopped. After I had entered my building and parked my car, I was in a fix- Bella was still sleeping. I got out of the car and softly called her name but she was out like a light.

As Alec, the security guard, approached me inspiration struck. Alec stopped in front of me and looked suspiciously at the slumbering form in my car. "_I'm sure he thinks you're Dr. Frankenstein looking forward to mutilating the seemingly dead girl inside your car! Or better yet, Dr. Hannibal Lecter about to feast on your unconscious victim._" I snickered at the thought that it must be quite scary for poor Alec since this was the first time he had seen me with a girl who happens to look unconscious!

He swallowed and refused to meet my eyes as he greeted me, "Good evening, Dr. Cullen. I will need your guest to sign the register before you can take her up. It's in the policies, you see."

I resisted the urge to pull his leg and smiled at him deliberately showing him my teeth. The poor guy actually shuddered! To put him out of his misery I said, "She's not a guest here, Alec. She's going to live here from now on. Just put in the name Mrs. Isabella Cullen and I'll arrange for her to sign the register tomorrow. As you can see my wife is very tired."

Alec's eyes showed instant relief then he seemed to catch the phrase_ my wife_ and his grasshopper-like eyes turned into saucers. _Maybe he was under the impression I was swinging for the other team! That's what happens when you don't bring girls around._ He stammered his congratulation to me. I smirked at him and thanked him before asking him to call for the elevator. I told him to grab his keys to my penthouse as I leaned down to scoop Bella up in my arms.

As I tried to ignore my body's response to Bella's close proximity; Bella, trying to be the bane of my existence, snuggled closer to me and hid her face in my chest. Alec respectfully averted his eyes in the elevator trying to give us privacy while I found myself grinning like a fool.

When we reached at my… _our_ place… I mentally amended; Alec held the door open while I carried my sleeping bride over the threshold. Then without setting her down, I turned to the bashful security guard and said, "Thanks, Alec. Don't worry about the register. I'll have it signed by Mrs. Cullen tomorrow." Alec managed a real smile this time and congratulated me once again before turning to go back to his post.

Suddenly I felt Bella's grip loosen on my shirt before tightening again. Then she let out a shriek, "Edward! What the… ?"

**BPOV**

The ride to Seattle was relatively silent except for our slight argument about my choice of music. The soothing tunes of classical music and the day's exhaustion quickly lulled me to sleep.

Edward was a good driver; I had to give it to him. I mean, seeing that he hadn't driven over a ditch or road bumps during the long-ass drive. So I had no idea when the car had stopped.

I was still in between sleep and awareness when I felt myself suddenly being enveloped by the most sensational smell ever. It was like a perfect blend of honey and sunshine and another- a more masculine scent. The scent made me inhale deeply and draw closer to the source.

A few moments later voices filtered through my sleep induced haze. I slowly opened my eyes and the first thing I noticed was the fact that I was being held in two strong arms… above the ground. I held my breath and looked up to see the face of my beholder- the handsome devil- my husband.

It sounded like he was talking to someone though my brain didn't seem willing to concentrate on his words. No, I was too busy concentrating on his lips remembering how they felt pressed against mine. I could smell the tantalizing smell from moments before- coming from him.

Suddenly the lips and the smell were too much for me and I had an inexplicable urge to kiss him once more. But the logical part of my brain told me that kissing him would be a very bad idea. So, I did the only other thing I could think of doing- I screamed…

"Edward! What the…?" my shriek brought his eyes on my face and he had the nerve to smile cheekily.

Then as if it was a daily occurrence he said, "Hey, you're awake. Just a minute, please." Before I could tear him a new one he turned to the man he was talking to and thanked him for his help. The man, whose name tag said his name was Alec, nodded to Edward and then almost ran to the elevator.

Then my idiot of a husband smirked at the retreating form of the new comer before looking down at my face and asked, "You were saying, baby?"

I had never liked couples calling each other with terms of endearment but hearing _him_ call me 'Baby' sent a jolt of excitement through me. I quickly looked down to hide my tell-tale blush.

I tried to act stern and asked him, "Would you care to explain why I'm up here?"

He simply shrugged as he replied, "Well, you fell asleep on the way. So I carried you up to our home." When he called his place '_our home_' my heart fluttered, which was silly of me. The urge to kiss him became strong once again so I told myself, "_Stop this nonsense, Swan! If you don't control your stupid hormones you're going to end up molesting him right here._"

To stop myself from doing something stupid I chose my best weapon- sarcasm and glared at him saying, "Oh, really? You know what you should've done? You should've woke me up. That's what _normal_ people do when someone who's sleeping needs to be roused."

His eyes immediately flashed with anger as he shot back, "Ah, silly me! You know what else _normal_ people do, Bella? They usually wake up when someone hollers their names. Believe me I called you but you didn't seem too keen to wake up. So, I _had_ _to_ carry you." He was behaving like a jerk again.

I chastised myself for thinking that he had _wanted_ to carry me over the threshold. "_It isn't a marriage of love. It is a marriage of convenience. So then why am I feeling so rejected by him?_" I asked myself. After I had my stupid emotions in check I loosened my grip on his shirt and softly said, "You can put me down now."

He slowly lower me to my feet and then looked like he was about to say something. But then he closed his mouth and shook his head. Then he sighed and asked me, "Do you want a tour of the house right now or in the morning? You must be tired."

I looked at him and saw that he looked really exhausted. He had gone through the same ordeal as me after all. So I decided to see my new habitat in the morning. I know vengeance dictated that I exploit his exhaustion but I let it go- for now. _I mean he was being a jerk again sure- but I was being a bitch too!_

Edward then proposed that we should probably head to bed and proceeded to take me to see my room. On the way he pointed out the living room, which was left to the foyer and the kitchen and the adjacent dining room. Then he took me towards a staircase which led to the upper level of the house.

"These are all bedrooms and guestrooms. Your room- the one you requested- is this one," he pointed to the second door from the left. Then continued, "The one on your left is mine and my parents' are on your right. The one across from mine is my office and the one across yours is Alice's room."

My head was spinning seeing the huge-ass penthouse. _Whoa! There are a lot of bedrooms here! I wonder if the Cullens all came to live here often._ I snapped back from my musings when I realized Edward was still talking, "… hope you like it. Alice did most of the shopping. So if you don't like anything in there, feel free to blame it on her."

We had stopped in front of my room when Edward offered, "Why don't you go inside and I'll bring up your bags from the car?" I nodded at him and entered my new room.

The room actually looked quite comfy. The walls were a light violet color which made it look soothing rather than the horrifying bright pink I had imagined when I heard Alice helped with it.

The furniture was not ostentatious and actually matched the décor of the room. However the most awesome aspect of my room was the huge book shelf. I would really have to thank Alice for that one. As I looked around the room, I started to unpin my hair. Just as I was running my fingers through my tangled mess Edward knocked on the door.

I opened the door and my breath left me in a whoosh! He had taken off his jacket and bow-tie. Wearing his white dress shirt and dress pants he looked just like the Rude Adonis I had met at the bar few nights ago. He was staring at me with a slack-jaw which reminded me about my hair. _I probably look like Medusa to him!_ I tried to flatten my hair and motioned for him to come inside.

He entered the room and put my bags beside the bed. Then he turned to me and said, "Alice already stocked your closet for you. Is there anything you need?" I shook my head looking down at my feet. Because I was scared if I opened my mouth I would beg him for a goodnight kiss.

I chanced a look at his face trying to distract myself from the thoughts of kissing him. _Big mistake!_ Our eyes locked immediately and I could practically feel the heat radiating from his body. I should have lowered my gaze, I should have stepped back from his close proximity- but my eyes just refused to move away from his hypnotic gaze.

Slowly as if approaching something delicate Edward leaned down and brushed his lips to my forehead. There was _something_ in his gesture that made tears sting my eyes. When he whispered against my skin, "Goodnight, Bellarina," my lips automatically formed the words, "Goodnight, E…dward" I caught myself at the last moment and said his full name.

I didn't think it would be appropriate to use a nickname for a person who was still virtually a stranger to me. Besides, I wasn't quite sure he even knew of our previous friendship. My response seemed to bring him out of a trance and he stiffened. Before I could say anything else he almost ran out of the room. _Now what the hell was that about?_

**EPOV**

I ran away. I fucking ran away from her. As I changed and got in my bed, I still could feel the silky smoothness of her skin, smell her strawberry like scent. That was the first night I dreamt of Bella Cullen- not Isabella Swan or Izzie.

The next morning, when I woke up and my first thought was immediately of Bella; I realized, no matter how far I ran away I would not be able to get her out of my head. I was truly and utterly fucked!

**A/N: Anyone notice the similarities with Breaking Dawn goodbyes? ;-)**

**Before you guys chew my head off for not making them consummate the marriage, let me make myself clear. Bella has agreed to give the man a second chance but that doesn't mean she would hand him over her V-Card without a bit of groveling! Patience is a virtue after all! ;-)**

**IMPORTANT A/N: I HAVE GOOD NEWS AND I HAVE BAD NEWS.**

**BAD NEWS IS I AM GOING TO A WORKSHOP TOMORROW WHERE I WOULD BE DOING PATIENT COUNSELLING FOR THE FIRST TIME! BUT IT'S IN THE REMOTE PART OF MY COUNTRY MEANING NO INTERNET ACCESS. WHICH MEANS… NO UPDATE THIS FRIDAY. I HOPE TO BE BACK BY NEXT TUESDAY… AND POST CHAPTER-15 THEN.**

**NOW THE GOOD NEWS, TO MAKE YOU GUYS STOP POUTING I HAVE PUBLISHED A NEW ONE SHOT CALLED "_Change My Mind_"… IT HAS A LEMON IN IT… BECAUSE ****bobbysgirl1976****MADE ME WANT TO TRY MY HAND AT THAT. THAT'S ****MY FIRST TRY TO WRITE SOMETHING LIKE THAT. GO AHEAD AND READ IT. AND LEAVE ME A REVIEW THERE… OK?**

**Now that my long rambling is over, how about you let me know what you think? Leave a review, please?**

**Until next week.**

**Ann**


	15. Chapter 15: Who The Hell Doesn't Like Co

**Disclaimer: No copyrights infringement intended. I don't own Twilight saga or any of its awesome characters.**

**A/N: I am back, baby! This chapter was a bit rushed so I am sorry for the shorter length but I just had to get something out to you. The next chapter is going to be 4k+ in length, promise!**

**Thanks to everyone who has reviewed, favorited, put on alert or simply... read OTC. You guys make my days a little bit brighter. Thank you. Now I introduce you to… Adorableward! ;-)**

**Enjoy Chapter-15 and I'll see you at the end of this chapter! :-)**

**Chapter-15: Who The Hell Doesn't Like Coffee?**

**BPOV**

The next morning I woke up to a beautiful melodious sound- no, it wasn't the chirping of little blue birds, because I'm not Cinder-_fucking_-ella! It was much better than that. It was the velvety smooth voice of my husband right outside of my bedroom door- calling my name, "Bella, are you awake? Bella?" His voice was followed by soft knocking.

I couldn't deny myself the sight of him in the morning. So I got out of bed and opened the door. He was freshly showered with a charming smile on his face. However the moment he took in my appearance his smile dropped and his eyes turned the size of tennis balls. That made me look down at myself and I belatedly realized that I was still in my sleepwear. "_Plus, judging by his horrified expression, my hair must be looking like a crow's nest; fantastic! Way to look inadequate to the Sexy Devil, Bella!"_ I grimaced at myself.

I sighed because this marriage was already looking a bit one-sided to me. There he was looking like a perfect imitation of Adonis and here I stood with crazy hair and ragged t-shirt, looking like a hobo. _Can this get anymore imbalanced?_

**EPOV**

On Sunday morning I was out of bed, shaved and showered by 9 a.m. "_Trying to impress the wife, are we?"_ I disregarded the stupid thoughts telling myself I was doing what is logical.

I went to the corner deli where Em and I usually had our breakfasts to get breakfast items for Bella and myself. Once there, I couldn't figure out what she might like for breakfast seeing the only thing I knew about her is that she liked Gin-and-Tonic. _And that was not something I could offer her at 9 in the morning! _

So I decided to get a bit of everything. Then I got two cups of hot water instead of my usual one so that we could make tea at home. When I got back, I set everything down on the dining table and then went to wake Bella up.

This time I was lucky that Bella heard my voice through the door and I didn't have to break the door down. But then she opened the door and my lucky streak was gone- just like that. I took a sharp breath and pretty sure my eyes were popping out of their sockets as I took in her appearance.

She was the epitome of beauty. She was wearing a ragged green U-Dub t-shirt and blue _short _shorts. Her bed-hair looked like a crow had been nesting there. But still she took my breath away.

After a few heartbeats her cheeks flushed with color and I realized I had been staring- _more like ogling_- at her. "_Like she didn't already think I was creepy enough! I had to look like a thunderstruck idiot!"_ I mentally face-palmed as I quickly looked down and greeted her feet, "Good morning, Bella. Did you sleep well?"

I heard her smile- rather than see it- in her voice, "Good morning, Edward. Yes, I did sleep well. You?"

I grimaced seeing that I couldn't tell her, "_Yes, Bella, I did. In my sleep I dreamed of you. It was a great dream. But I had to wake up before dream-Edward could do something to dream- Bella for which neither of us are ready yet! So, I actually woke up with a boner, thanks to you!_"

"_Nope, cannot do that now, Cullen,_" So instead I told her feet, "Yeah, me too. Umm… why don't you freshen up? Then we can have breakfast and I can give you the tour of the house?"

I decided to peek at her and saw her nod as she said, "Sure. I'll just be fifteen minutes, okay?"

That's a very reasonable amount of time- compared to what my sister usually takes- so I agreed, "Okay. When you're done just come get me in my room." Another nod from her and I left her to get ready.

Once I was in my room I sat on my leather couch and tried reading the medical journal dad had given me last week. But no matter how hard I tried I couldn't concentrate on the damn article about electrode implantation for Parkinsonism. No, all my thoughts were focused on the fact that Bella was in the shower, naked, with not a stitch on her- in the next room.

I had to adjust myself in my jeans... three times. _If it gets any worse I will have to give up wearing jeans and wear fucking slacks like old dudes!_

When I heard a timid knock on my door I jumped off the couch as if electrocuted- checked my pants' situation- and then opened the door. My first thought after I saw Bella outside my room was, "_Goodbye, jeans! We had a good running. But this girl is gonna make me wear those damn old man pants from now on!"_ Because, ladies and gentlemen, it just got worse.

If Bella in an old, ratty t-shirt was bad; Bella in her v-neck cream colored top and black tight jeans was a thousand times worse. Her mahogany hair cascaded down her back making her look like an unearthly beauty.

When I stood there tongue-tied she blushed and the sight of her blush spreading down her throat and collarbone almost made me reach out to touch her cheeks. I controlled myself with _great difficulty_- I might add- and cleared my throat. Before I made more of an idiot of myself I quickly asked her, "Breakfast?" she nodded and let me lead her downstairs.

**-OTC-**

As soon as Bella saw the food-laden table she whirled round to face me, "Edward, do you think you married a hippopotamus? Or perhaps a _Biggest Loser_ champion?" I was confused at her sudden outburst. Because I _knew_ I hadn't done anything this time!

I immediately went into defensive mode and exclaimed, "What? I haven't called you fat! Why would you say something like that?"

She narrowed her eyes at me and said, "Well, there's enough food to feed an entire platoon of soldiers. Did you honestly think I would eat all of it?"

Finally I understood the reason for her freak out and tried to smile as I said, "Bella, calm down. I got a bit of everything because I had no idea what you would like for breakfast. Don't worry about the food. Since it's already quarter to eleven, we'll have a brunch and then I'll take the leftovers to Emmett's."

Her eyes became wide as she gasped, "You are gonna haul all these food to Emmett's place? Are you that fond of menial labor or something?" I had to smother a smile. It felt good to know that even in her anger she seemed to care for me- just a little bit.

I tried to ease her mind, "It's alright. Em lives in the penthouse right across the hall. So it's really not gonna be a problem." She finally calmed down and offered me a soft 'Okay'. I grinned at her and motioned towards the food, "Shall we?" She gave me her shy smile and sat down as I pulled out her chair for her.

Bella settled for pancakes and I for omelets. Some time into brunch I remembered the tea and got up. I dunked one tea bag in each cup and then put one cup in front of Bella. I motioned towards the sugar sachets and said, "I usually drink it black. But help yourself."

Bella looked down at the cup first and then towards the sugar sachets with a puzzled expression. Then her head shot up and she looked dumbfounded as she asked me, "You don't… I mean you _don't_ drink coffee?"

I just shook my head a _no_. In Oxford, there used to be Breakfast Tea in the dining hall and I started drinking it there. Since it gave me the caffeine boost I needed I never felt the need to try some other form of caffeinated drink. However Bella's dumbfounded look told me it was an unthinkable concept to her.

She blinked at me before asking, "You drink _black_ tea? And serve it with small sugar sachets?" I nodded scared of her expression by then.

When she continued to look at me with her mouth agape I explained, "Yeah. I get hot water with my breakfast every morning. I had mom buy me the tea bags and sugar sachets a few weeks back. So I just have to dip a tea bag in the water and make my tea."

"Wait! You _buy_ hot water? For tea? Are you real?" Bella's expression indicated I had just admitted that I functioned without a brain! I nodded warily again. _Seriously, what was the big deal?_

"Do you get all take-out meals every day?" I nodded in response to her question.

"Do you even have a kitchen?" now she looked amused.

I narrowed my eyes at her and huffed, "Of course, I do. It's fully furnished with all types of cooking stuff- in case you're wondering. I just don't cook."

"Edward, you _buy_ hot _water_. And live on take-outs. Are you sure the fact is that you _don't_ cook or _can't_ cook?" she was openly laughing at me now.

"Are you always such a smart-ass?" I asked rather insolently. She just choked out another laughter as she shook her head, "No, Dr. Cullen. You just seem to bring out the best in me." She batted her eyelashes mischievously.

Her playfulness made my brooding impossible and made me smile. I joined in her teasing and asked, "Oh, really, Mrs. Cullen? That's such an honor to me then."

Bella's laughter immediately stopped. I didn't realize what I did to make her uncomfortable and asked, "Bella? What is it?" she looked down and her cheeks flamed.

"Sorry, Edward. I just didn't expect to be called _Mrs. Cullen_. It's such a foreign concept to me. So the name just caught me off guard." She looked sheepishly at me. I nodded at her knowing that we both needed time to get used to this.

I decided to change the subject and asked her a question that had been bugging me the moment I heard about the discussion between our parents regarding our marriage.

"Bella, you are not unhappy with this marriage thing, are you?" I held my breath waiting for her answer.

"No, Edward. I'm not unhappy," she replied slowly, "I just would have liked to have a chance to get to know my fiancée before tying the knot. Why? Are you unhappy?" she finished anxiously. I quickly shook my head trying to wipe the worry from her face.

Then I decided to ask the next important question, "No, Bella. Not at all. I just wanted to make sure if you wanted to give _us_ a try. Do you?"

Then she looked into my eyes and replied, "I do, Edward." Her reply made me want to break into a jig.

A goofy grin split my face in two as I said, "Good. I do too." She smiled and I continued, "As for time, we have all our lives to get to know each other. We can start whenever you like."

She gave me her shy smile and said, "I'd like that." Then she made a face and asked, "You don't… umm… have a girlfriend or anything, do you?"

I shook my head and gave her the shorter version- not yet ready to let her know about all the gory details- and said, "No. I had one when I was in high school but it ended badly. That put me off the whole dating thing."

"Oh!" _That's it? That's all she has to say? Well if she doesn't ask I won't say._ I decided.

So instead I asked her, "What about you?"

My question made her shake her head then snort- in a cute way, not like the gross way I do- and then she said, "Nope. For some unknown reason having a gun-carrying police chief as a father seems to scare guys off! I have no idea why that is though!" her tone was teasing but I could not join in her amusement. Because I, myself had seen just how scary her father could be the night before.

After we cleaned up the table- meaning throw away the waste in the trash bag and packed the leftovers up for Emmett- I took Bella on the promised tour of the house. I wanted her to feel at home there- because it was going to be her home- for however long she wanted.

She liked the family room, saying that it'll be a cozy hangout for the family when the holidays come; openly laughed at the game room then teased me about myself and Em being big babies; if all those video games were for us. However when I took her to see the library she went radio silent.

I was very fond of my library. The first requisite for me while mom was looking for a place for me was it must have a high ceilinged room that could hold my constantly growing pile of medical and music books. Since moving in I had spent days in ordering and reordering the books in this room.

The moment Alice had told me about Bella's fondness for reading I had wanted to bring her here to show my huge book collection. But I didn't expect her to just stop and stare. _Maybe she thinks I'm a geek now? Oh who the hell are you kidding, Cullen? You are the geek of the family and she should know that!_

I wanted to slap my jackass subconscious and tried to call Bella's attention to judge her reaction, "Bella?"

"Hmm…" she moaned, she _fucking_ moaned- not taking her eyes off the floor to ceiling shelves. I tried to control my lower body's response to the sound and managed to choke out, "Bella, what do you think?"

She finally tore her gaze from the books, looked at me, smiled and then… threw herself in my arms- hugging me tightly.

"Oh my God, Edward! I _love_ it! I marry you and get to live in a house full of books? This is great- no- this is _awesome_!" I could register the awestruck tone of her voice- but barely- her words bypassing my brain altogether. Because the only thing I could focus on was that Bella was hugging me- and I was hugging her back! _I was a lucky bastard!_

When I failed to produce a reply of equal enthusiasm Bella seemed to notice the fact that we were locked in an embrace. She quickly let go of me as if stung by an invisible force field and took a step back refusing to meet my eyes.

I could hear her embarrassment in her voice when she said, "Shit! I'm sorry, Edward. I was just too excited. It's just that… I love reading. You must think of me as a nerd now, huh?"

I reached out not able to resist touching her anymore and nudged her chin with my knuckles and tried to ease her mind, "Hey, it's okay. If you are a nerd, I'm a geek. We should be the dorkiest couple ever, right? Besides, since we're married and all that… you should be able to hug your husband if you want to." My remark managed to bring a smile on her face.

She looked up at me and asked shyly, "Whenever?"

I couldn't help but laugh as I nodded, "Whenever, wherever and for whatever reason you see fit. 24x7 hugging permission granted." I smirked at her.

"Okay." She hesitated for a beat before adding, "You have the same permission then."

"Thank you." Then I proceeded to give her a hug just to hear her laughter once again. If this is what being married was like- I didn't mind being married... to Bella. I mean it couldn't get any worse, right?

**A/N: So what do you think? Isn't he just adorable?**

**Let me know your thoughts and review, please?**

**Until next time… take care.**

**Ann**


	16. Chapter 16: Grocery Shopping and Cereal

**Disclaimer: No copyrights infringement intended. I don't own Twilight saga or any of its awesome characters. I just have a liking for Froot Loops and Cheese. ;-)**

**A/N: Thanks to everyone who has reviewed, favorited, put on alert or simply... read OTC. You guys make my days a little bit brighter. Thank you. As promised you get a 4k+ chapter.**

**PLEASE READ THE A/N IN THE END OF THE CHAPTER.**

**Enjoy Chapter-16!**

**Chapter-16: Grocery Shopping and Cereal Boxes**

**BPOV**

After brunch and the house-tour I decided to go to my old place to collect some of my remaining stuff and my truck. Edward offered to drive me there before taking the leftover food to his cousin; but I declined. After all I could walk down two blocks!

When I finally got him to agree, he handed me a key hanging from a C-shaped key-chain. Seeing my questioning look he tried to explain saying, "You'll need the house key to get in when you get back. The 'C' in the key-chain stands for Cullen. We all have them. You are one now, and so now you have one too."

"_Really? Custom-made key-chains? How rich are you guys?" _is what I wanted to say but instead decided to drop it for now. So, I just replied lamely, "Oh, okay then."

I was about to open the front door when Edward called out, "Bella, on your way out could you please sign the register for the security? Once you do it Alec won't bother us anymore." _Hmm… I guess that's why the security guy was up here last night!_

I said '_ok'_ but before taking two more steps I had to stop myself, "Hey, Edward?"

"Yes?"

"I don't like having take-outs daily. So, do you think we can get some groceries in here? Then I could make us something to eat in your _fully-furnished_ kitchen?" I teased him.

He scowled at me before his expression turned into one of shock and he asked, "You can cook?"

"Yeah. I _can_ cook. And more importantly, I love cooking."

Then his lips turned up to form a beautiful smile as he nodded and said, "Okay. Come back by four and we'll go grocery shopping." _Wait, why the fuck am I thinking his smile beautiful? Guys don't like being called beautiful, do they?_ I stopped my thoughts about male-beauty and focused on the word I hated most- shopping.

I tried not to grimace at the thought of going shopping as I agreed. Before I could reach the door Edward called me back- again. _It's as if he doesn't want me to leave. But that would be crazy, right?_ I rolled my eyes at myself before turning to face him.

"Umm… Bella? Here." He extended his hand towards me palm-up and sitting on his palm was an iphone. I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion and looked at him waiting for an explanation. He smiled sheepishly and said, "I think it will be a good idea to have each other's numbers, right? Just in case?" That didn't sound unreasonable and so I nodded for him to continue, "So, why don't you program yours in mine and send yourself a text message so that you'll have my number as well?"

I took the phone and entered my number in his contact list. I put it under _Bella_ and then sent myself a blank text message from him and returned his phone. Then I took my phone out of my purse and saved his number under the name _Mase_. I must have been smiling goofily because he suddenly cleared his throat making me look up at him.

"Well, I guess that's about it," he started before pausing for a beat then continued, "Oh, and the elevator? The PH button is for our floor. It's for Penthouse." _PH? Seriously? So what, you live in an acidic or basic place?_ My-sarcastic-self wanted to retort but I suppressed the urge not wanting him to think of me as a bitch.

So I just said an 'Okay' and when he didn't say anything else I said, "Guess I'll see you at about four then. Bye, Edward."

This time I was almost out of the door before he answered— "Bye… Bellarina."

The last word was spoken so softly that if I hadn't turned to look at him- more specifically his mouth (_Totally perverted behavior! I know but couldn't help it!_)- I wouldn't have caught it. I filed the use of that name once again for future questioning and closed the door behind me.

**-OTC-**

While I was in the elevator, I called Rose to let her know that I was coming to see her. Just as I got off the elevator and finished wrapping up the call the security guard from last night approached me. I avoided meeting his eyes feeling embarrassed that he had seen me in Edward's arms the night before.

However he was professional when he said, "Mrs. Cullen, it's nice to meet you, Ma'am. I am Alec. I'll be the security detail here from 12 midnight to 12 noon. Dr. Cullen told me to get you to sign the register today. So…" he held out a register book for me. I took it and saw the name Mrs. Isabella Cullen already written there. I signed next to it and returned the book to Alec.

A sudden thought struck me. _What if Edward didn't have girlfriends but had one-night stands instead? Who better to provide that information to me than the security guy? Be polite to him, Bell. You don't know when you might need him._ So I politely greeted him, "Nice to meet you too, Alec. I gotta go now but we'll talk later, okay?"

He seemed puzzled but said _okay_ before walking off to his post.

**-OTC-**

The walk to my old place was pleasant since it wasn't raining after what seemed like forever! My truck was parked in the lot in my spot. I threw a smile at the thing and went up to the house. I used my old key to get in before hollering for my friend, "Rose! You in your room?" Rosalie ran out of her room and quickly hugged me before tugging my hand.

"Bell! How are you, girl? C'mon let's sit then tell me EVERYTHING." We both curled up on the couch, facing each other before she prodded me again, "Okay, so… spill the beans."

I stiffened. What to tell her, that my husband didn't want me _that way_ on our wedding night? I sighed and asked her, "What do you want to know, Rose?"

Rosalie poked me in the ribs and yelled, "Isabella Marie, stop being evasive! I want every detail. How was it? Did it hurt? How long did the first time take? How many times did you do it? How many positions?" her rapid-fire questions slowed down before she narrowed her eyes at me, "Wait, you didn't walk funny. Last night was your first time, right? So… aren't you… sore?" I blushed and looked down at my hands praying the ground would open up and swallow me.

When my prayer remained unanswered I whispered, "Rose, it's not like that with us. We didn't… _do anything_." I was hoping she would've missed my soft spoken confession but of course her bat-like hearing caught on the words.

"What the fuck, Bell? He must be more stupid than he looks. I swear, dude, you looked so gorgeous yesterday that even I considered turning lesbian just for you!" When I still refused to meet her eyes she continued softly, "Tell me exactly what happened after you left the reception, Bella. I need to find out if I should make him grovel at your feet." I finally peeked through my hair-curtain and decided to give her the concise version.

"Umm… he drove us back to Seattle. Then took me to his place and showed me to my room. Then he wished me a goodnight and went to his room to sleep. This morning he got like every breakfast item conceivable to man. We had brunch, he gave me a key to his place, we exchanged our numbers and now I'm here and he's supposed to go see his cousin. That's about it, really," I finished in one breath.

Rosalie sat silently staring at me open-mouthed for what must have been a few minutes but to me it felt like a freaking day! When I couldn't take it anymore I snapped at her, "Hale, are you gonna sit gaping like a fucking fish or are you gonna say something?"

She shut her mouth closed and then opened again saying, "Ok, ok, I'm talking. No need to bitch-slap me, Swan. You guys are _so complicated_! I was just trying to figure the situation out."

"What the fuck is there to figure out? He married me to get his family off his back same as me. But he doesn't want me as anything other than a flat-mate. It's simple. I feel exactly the same way." I tried to hide the hurt from my voice. Weird thing is, last night I was so overwhelmed with everything it didn't feel like a rejection but now… _But, you are the one who asked for a separate bedroom, remember?_ My thoughts were contradicting each-other.

"No, B. It's _not_ simple. It's weird, it's awkward, maybe it's a bit fucked-up even, but it's not simple. I saw how he looked at you that night at the bar and yesterday while saying the vows. And let's not forget _that kiss_… he definitely wants you." She sounded so sure of her estimations that it made me even more aggravated.

"Oh, yeah?" I challenged, "If he's so attracted to me then why he didn't even give me a proper goodnight kiss? He just barely brushed his lips to my forehead before running away like I was holding a lighter under his ass. Go ahead and make sense of that! Come on, Hale, let's hear your theory." I didn't know why I was getting so riled up but I was so far gone that I didn't even care that I was shouting at my best friend for something that wasn't her fault.

Rose ignored my crazy ramblings and calmly replied, "I don't know, B. At this point I can offer you two _theories_. It's either he has time-traveled from early 1900s to fulfill your Harlequin fantasies or he's a celibate. Though personally, I think he'll be of the first group, you know like your regency romance heroes?" She winked at me making me crack a smile.

"I don't think he time-traveled, seeing that he has a whole family to back up his story. And knowing my luck, I will be the _lucky_ virgin that ends up married to a celibate guy." I tried to joke.

Rose wrapped her arm around my shoulders and proceeded to scold me in the caring way only your best friend can, "Hold it right there, Swan. Don't ever say stuff like that. You are my soul sister. So you are too hard not to love. Trust me, he's not gonna ignore a babe like you. Even if he_ is_ celibate, having you around is bound to lead him towards the dark path of sexual temptations, sister." She winked at me making me sigh. Secretly though I hoped she was right.

**EPOV**

"Em, seriously bro, chew slower. You're gonna have an asphyxiation. The foods are inanimate. So they're not gonna run away from you." My warning fell on deaf ears as my dear cousin just stopped long enough to spare me a glance before going back to stuffing his face with waffles.

When he finally had swallowed his food he turns back to me and says, "I know these are inanimate but your wife isn't. And if you don't grow the balls to do her soon she may run away. Dude, I don't believe in these love-shit. So according to me anything that binds a chick to a guy is sex."

I growled at him. It was hard enough for me to see how awkward she felt around me, I didn't want to think of her leaving me. I raked my fingers through my hair before saying, "I don't know what to do, Em. I can't deny the fact that I want her. But I have no idea if she even likes me _that _way or not. I mean she asked for a separate room for fuck's sake!"

Emmett swallowed another mouthful of food before exclaiming, "Dude, are you blind? Should I call Uncle Carlisle to get you a glass eye or something? Did you not see how she was looking at you last week and then again yesterday? She wants you, Bro. She might not have wanted Edward Cullen, but you- she definitely wants." I couldn't understand head or tail of his convoluted logic.

So I shouted back, "What? FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, EMMETT! STOP STUFFING YOUR FACE AND EXPLAIN YOUR LITTLE SPEECH."

He looked startled at my outburst and then snickered, "You know, Ed, I'm still one year older than you. And I don't really appreciate that tone of yours."

I threw up my hands in the air in frustration, "EMMETT McCarty! WILL YOU JUST SPIT IT OUT?" This time he stopped eating and looked serious.

Then he sneered at me, "Well, Eddie-boy, she didn't _know_ Edward Cullen. So she asked for a separate room _then_ thinking you are a creep. But then that night at the bar at least she had seen your ugly mug. So, go ahead and try getting cozy with her. Get some feelers out. If you're not boning her yet, at least show her that you can be a better man than that shirt-obsessed jackass she met at the bar."

Emmett's reminder made me feel ashamed for my behavior towards her once again. Suddenly I recalled her shocked expressions when I had opened her door for her or held out her chair. _She must still think I'm an arrogant idiot she thought of me at first!_ The moment the realization hit me I swore to myself that I would show her that I was indeed a well-mannered gentleman before I _tried to bone her_- according to Em's crude words.

**-OTC-**

After a few games of _Guitar Hero_, in which I _buried_ Em- by the way, I figured I should get back home. It was quarter to four and I wanted to be there when Bella got back. Em said he wanted to come with me to meet Bella properly and I agreed. Because to me Emmett was not only my cousin- he was my best friend and sometimes even a big brother; so Bella should know him as well.

When we looked out the door, Bella was just walking inside our home. "Bella," I called. She turned around to look at me and gave me a smile and suddenly I felt like I could breathe again for the first time since she had left this morning. _This is getting too creepy for you, Cullen. How can you even miss someone you pretty much don't know?_ I chastised myself.

Bella started to greet me, "Hey! Ohh…" but her words cut-off when my giant of a cousin scooped her up in a bone crushing hug.

"BabyBell," his voice boomed loudly through the deserted hallway, "How are you doing, Li'l Sis?" I was about to scold him for man-handling my wife when I heard Bella giggle. God! She looked so happy and care-free at that moment! I made another promise to myself that I would make her smile like that- a lot.

"Emmett," she gasped, "It's good to see you too, big brother." Finally the buffoon had let her go. They were both grinning at their greetings and I couldn't help but laugh with them like an idiot. After getting her breathing under control Bella asked Emmett, "Wait, what did you call me?"

Emmett shrugged before explaining, "BabyBell… you know because you're Bella and since last night you have been granted the privilege of being my baby sister… so that makes you- BabyBell."

Bella snorted in her cute way and exclaimed, "That is _so_ cheesy!" Her reaction ignited my recently-discovered jealousy. _When I called her Bellarina last night, she looked shocked; but when Emmett gives her a nickname she finds it cheesy? She's _my wife_ for crying out loud! I'm the only one who should be allowed to be cheesy with her, damn it!_ I was so engrossed in my moping I didn't see the dumb-ass look Em gave her. But she noticed and tried to explain—

"You don't know Babybel is a type of cheese?" she quirked an eyebrow at us. I finally cracked a smile after getting the _cheesy_ joke.

Emmett seemed to catch on as well as he said, "Really? That's cool then, I guess. I don't mind being cheesy for calling you that, sis. A-n-y-w-h-o, I'm gonna leave you two to do whatever married people are _supposed_ to do. Have fun, Bro." The fucker winked at me.

"Bye, Emmett," we both said at the same time. That paired with the married people hint Em just dropped brought back all the awkwardness from before. As we got inside the house, I kept raking my brain for any conversation-starter when Bella asked me, "Did Esme decorate Emmett's place like she did yours?"

For some reason I got irritated when she called it _my_ place. _I had given her a fucking key, hadn't I?_ So, I kind of snapped at her, "It's _our_ place now, not just mine. It's your home now, too."

Looking at her I saw her smile vanish and turn into shock, I silently cursed myself for my irrational anger at her words. I counted one to ten in my head before saying softly, "Bella, this is your home now. I want you to feel comfortable here. If we are going to try to work on an '_us_' then you should feel comfortable in my space, just like I should in yours…" when she didn't respond I continued, "And yes, mom decorated both of the penthouses. Emmett may not be their own but my parents never discriminated between Emmett, Alice and me."

After a few beats she mumbled an '_okay'_ making me look at her face- _Big mistake, Cullen!_ She was biting her lower lip while looking at me from beneath her eyelashes. The sight suddenly reminded me how _good_ her lips felt moving against mine. And then the urge to bite that lip myself to taste her once again engulfed me.

I tried to control my stupid impulse and said in a strained voice, "You said you wanted to go grocery shopping. You ready to go now?"

She gave me a small smile at the subject change before saying, "I… ah… wanted to freshen up a bit before leaving." I nod and move aside to let her go to her room. As she climbed up the stairs I could not help but look at the sway of her hips and wish myself luck because seeing the way she was altering my life already- I felt like I'm gonna need all the luck I could muster if I wanted to survive this girl.

**BPOV**

After ten minutes of replayingg the whole talk about this place being my home now, I was ready to go shopping. We didn't acknowledge the talk when we saw each other again. As we walked out of the apartment Edward hesitated for a bit then slowly placed one hand on my lower back to guide me inside the elevator.

I tried to act like I didn't notice it but all my nerves were hyper-aware of the fact that he was touching me. That strange tingling from yesterday was still there whenever our skins came in contact.

When we got to his car he opened the passenger side door for me catching me off-guard yet again with his sudden change in attitude. I decided that it was time I brought this up and asked him once we're out on the street, "Hey, can I ask you something?"

His response was immediate, "Of course. You can ask me anything, Bella."

I tried phrasing the question without making him sound like a total tool, "Umm… what's up with the door opening and other stuff? I mean I understand that you had to do it yesterday to impress people and everything; but we're alone now. So, why do you do it?" Edward looked offended at my question and stiffly answered—

"Bella, I wasn't trying to impress _anyone_. My mother raised me to be a gentleman. If my doing this stuff bothers you then… you'll just have to get used to it."

"Oh! Right…" he grinned smugly at my seemingly assenting with him before I continued, "I wonder though… where did the_ gentleman_ go on last Wednesday?" His grin turned into a scowl as he huffed.

"Listen, I am sorry I was so rude to you that night. But I had my reasons. I will tell you one day." He said mysteriously.

"You will?" I couldn't hide the surprise from my voice. I didn't expect _Mase_ to openly offer an explanation.

"Why Mrs. Cullen, you sound truly surprised!" he smirked at my expression before turning the engine off, "Come on, we're here."

I sat gaping at him thinking, "_How the hell does he shift his mood so fast? Maybe he has ADD?_"

**-OTC-**

Edward opened my car door and led me towards the entrance of the supermarket all the while touching my lower back. When we got in I quickly grabbed a shopping cart and handed it to him telling him to make himself useful before going to the frozen foods aisle.

The first things I picked up were hot pockets and pop tarts knowing that we both will need quick breakfasts most days. Edward eyed them suspiciously before asking what those were. When I explained to him that those were quick meals he looked confused and pointed out that if I wanted a quick meal I should just get take-outs, making me laugh. He had an innocence to him that made me think of him as adorable.

Shopping was going smoothly with me dropping stuff on the cart and Edward pushing it dutifully beside me. _A girl can get used to it!_ Just as the thought crossed my mind we reached our last stop- the cereal aisle.

I picked up my usual Froot Loops and placed it on the cart. Suddenly Edward decided that he had been far too tolerable till that point and unleashed his jerk-self once again. He picked the box up and replaced it on the shelf making me whisper-yell, "Hey, hey, what do you think you are doing?"

"Nothing," he shrugged and replaced _my _Froot Loops with Lucky Charms!

"Why the hell would you replace the cereal?" I asked getting angry by the second. _Nobody… NOBODY messes with my Froot Loops!_

"Hmm… let's see… oh, yeah… because I like Lucky Charms." He replied. _God! He was so infuriating!_

"Well, I happen to _love_ Froot Loops!" I actually stomped my foot in fury.

"Exactly… those are _girly stuff_," he smirked. _Oh, he did not just say that! How dare he?_

I took a deep breath, about to continue shouting till I could get my point through his stupid head; but a storekeeper came up at that moment to see what the commotion was about. So, I had to let it go… for now, but not before picking up my Froot Loops and placing it on the cart beside his Lucky Charms.

I glanced at Edward and saw that he was shaking his head. Then he caught me eyes and we both burst into laughter at our antics.

At the counter Edward went into _husband mode_- saying that since I get to cook he gets to pay for grocery- and paid for everything- including my Froot Loops.

On the way back I realized that the man sitting beside me maybe an arrogant jerk sometimes but he could also be fun and cute when he was not. And most importantly- I did enjoy shopping with him. That was something I never thought I'd admit to myself- me enjoying shopping. However, I suspected that the _enjoyment_ part was not due to the shopping itself but the company I had… and that scared the shit out of me!

**EPOV**

When we were kids mom used to take Emmett and Alice to the grocery store with her leaving me to solve the daily crossword puzzles with dad. So I can't say I had gone grocery shopping before. But I had to say that my first experience at grocery shopping was… fun. Though I didn't understand why Bella had to buy all those _raw_ stuff but… I liked hanging out with her.

After we got back home we were both tired and seeing as we both had work in the morning I decided to spare Bella cooking-duty and ordered Chinese. We had dinner on the living room couch- watching random TV… another first for me- due to Bella's insistence.

When we had clear up the take-out bags, Bella hugged me goodnight and I, being the impulsive idiot, kissed her on the cheek- startling both her and myself. It was another awkward goodnight before scampering off to our rooms after that.

As I laid there on my huge-ass bed I recalled my day and it hit me that it was the first time I had so much fun with anyone outside my family. I had to admit to myself- maybe being married to Bella won't be _that_ hard!

**A/N: Hmm… it's been calm for some time, don't you think? Maybe it'll be followed by a storm soon? ;-)**

**IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT**

**A COMMUNITY NAMED 'REPORTABLE LEMONS' HAVE LISTED MY O/S _CHANGE MY MIND_ SAYING IT EXCEEDED THE M RATING SO I HAVE PUBLISHED THE STORY IN TheWritersCoffeeShop IN CASE IT GETS REMOVED FROM FFN.**

**NOW I HAVE STARTED PUBLISHING OTC IN THAT SITE AS WELL BECAUSE WHEN THINGS GETS HEATED IN THIS ONE I DON'T WANT TO WRITE A WATERED DOWN VERSION OF IT. DON'T WORRY I WILL KEEP POSTING IN BOTH FFN AND TWCS. IT'S JUST A PRECAUTION IN CASE THEY REPORT OTC AS WELL.**

**Another thing, I have opened a facebook account under the name TwiAddict Anne. Come find me there- if you want. :-)**

**Let me know your thoughts and review!**

**Take care.**

**Ann**


	17. Chapter 17: Strike Two

**Disclaimer: No copyrights infringement intended. I don't own Twilight saga or any of its awesome characters.**

**A/N: Thanks to everyone who has reviewed, favorited, put on alert or simply... read OTC. You guys make my days a little bit brighter. Thank you. Shall we meet some new people now?**

**By the way, anyone noticed the change in the cover image for OTC?**

**Enjoy Chapter-17 and I'll see you at the end of this chapter! :-)**

**Chapter-17: Strike Two**

**BPOV**

Monday morning I got up early- not because I wanted to impress _anyone_- because I wanted to fix breakfast for myself and… since he paid for all the grocery, for Edward too.

While Edward's tea was boiling, I let my mind wander to trifling matters- namely the goodnight kiss from last night. _Yeah, right! A _trifling_ matter, is it? That's why you are blushing like a cherry recalling the sensation _his_ kiss caused, aren't you?_ I cut off my inner ramblings because even I knew I was starting to feel something when I was near him.

I was brought back from my happy memory by the voice of my adonis-and-maybe-not-so-rude husband, "Bella? Why are you up so early? I was just about to go get breakfasts. What do you want to eat?" He looked so adorable scratching his head being all confused in the morning.

"Good morning to you too, Tea-drinker," I teased him, "You don't need to get breakfast. I got it all here. Go take a sit and I'll set the table." He looked startled for a second before his face split in half with a boyish grin making me grin back as well.

"You made breakfast for me? Damn! Em's gonna be _so_ jealous!" he exclaimed excitedly as I brought cereal, milk, omelets and tea to the table. When I placed his beloved Lucky Charms on the table he smirked at me before digging in.

He was behaving like a little boy! It made me wonder since how long had he been surviving on take-outs! _I have to ask him sometime!_ When he exclaimed that my tea was better than the one he usually had I had to roll my eyes. _Tough competition! Beating black tea made from teabags!_

Soon Edward left saying he wanted to go in early on his first day. I sighed at the idea of Edward in scrubs._ If I'm lucky he may forget to remove them before coming home!_

I mentally slapped myself to stop day-dreaming about a _certain_ doctor and told myself to get a move on or else I would be late for work. It may not be my first day but it's my first time working under the new doctor and I didn't want him to think I was a slacker.

**-OTC-**

I quickly threw on my usual work attire of jeans and long-sleeved t-shirt and went down to my truck- and just like that my good morning instantly turned bad.

The old engine simply refused to start up making a whining noise every time I tried.

"Urgh! Stupid fucking piece of scrap metal!" I was banging my head against the steering wheel with each curse after my eighteenth failed attempt to start the piece of shit of a truck!

"Why the long face, BabyBell? Did Eddie piss you off already?" Emmett's roaring voice interrupted my pity party.

I looked up to see my cousin-in-law smiling broadly at me. I tried to smile but it came out as a grimace as I replied, "Hi, Emmett. Weirdly enough, _Eddie_ did not piss me off- _this time_. My stupid-ass truck did."

Emmett whistled and shook his head saying, "No way, Li'l sis. That _thing_ can be many things- most likely scrap metal- but not a truck. Though I personally think it's an excellent contender to be an exhibit from the demolished tanks of WWII."

I gave him a withering look for making fun of my truck which by extension meant me- at least in my head. He quickly decided to change tracks saying, "Any who, need a ride, sis? I could drop you off."

I nodded knowing there was no way I could get it fixed and reach work on time. He opened the passenger side door of his huge red jeep for me. After I got in he asked arching an eyebrow, "So, where to, BabyBell?" I told him to drop me off at my hospital and immediately his chipper mood turned in to confusion.

"You work at Seattle Grace? The hospital Seattle Grace? Here… in Seattle?" when I nodded he looked even more confused and asked, "Then why didn't you just go with Edward?"

I gave him a look that said, "_Dude, I feel sorry for your damaged understanding ability!_" then said slowly to make him understand, "Emmett, today is Edward's first day at work. If he dropped me off first then he would have been late by the time he gets to his hospital. You see why I was trying to get my truck started?"

"What are you…," he started then suddenly his confused look was replaced by a devilish glint in his eyes, "… Oh…. Ooohhhh…. Ohhhhoooo…." When I asked him if he was okay- because let's face it that look was simply creepy- he continued grinning and said that he finally understood what I was saying.

I decided not to push him anymore. Instead the rest of our fifteen minutes drive was passed by his asking me questions about Rosalie. It seemed that Muscles had a little crush of my best friend!

As Emmett pulled into the parking lot outside the hospital he had the gleeful look on his face was back. His eyes actually seemed to twinkle when he wished me to have a _kickass_ day at work before pulling out of the drive. I just shook my head at his crazy antics and headed inside.

**-OTC-**

As I walked past the reception desk I smiled at the elderly and a bit chatty receptionist, Mrs. Cope, and pointed to my wrist watch to say that I could not stop to chat right then. She nodded her understanding and waved at me.

I carried on to making my way to the locker rooms reserved for the pharmacists. I quickly pulled on my overly-girly _pink_ scrubs. I hated wearing anything pink. Maybe because when I was a toddler, Reneé tried to turn me into a pink smurfette by buying everything pink she could get her hands on!

I stopped mid-cursing the brutal color of my scrubs when I heard the bell chimes indicating the start of the morning shift. _Crap! I'm gonna be late! Fucking truck!_ I quickly exited the change room and hurried to the neurology ward on third floor.

**-OTC-**

The moment the elevator doors opened I saw Rose making frantic throat-slitting motions with her hand at me. I whisper-yelled, "I know! I know… I'm late, Rose. I'll catch ya later," as I passed her before rushing off on my way.

I heard her calling from behind, "Izzie, wait…" but I just waved at her and sprinted towards the ward entrance.

Just as I was about to pass through the door I heard Dr. Farrell's voice, "… I think we should wait for her. She has never been late for rounds before. Maybe she had some problems this morning." I felt grateful that the Chief of Medicine had such a high opinion of me.

However my smile turned into a scowl when I heard another voice reply to him, "With all due respect, Chief, I don't think our profession allows being a late-comer. Besides, I don't even see the point of having a pharmacist on the medical team in the first place."

My head exploded at the words. _It must be the new resident! He must be a snob if he thinks I am not _needed_ in his team. His voice sounds a bit familiar… whatever, I'll chew the fucker's head off!_ I shrugged off any notion of knowing the voice somewhere and squared off my shoulders to confront the guy.

"Watch it there, son, she's one of the best I've seen in years…"

Before the chief could finish I had already stormed in and shouted, "What is your _problem_?" Then I looked at the resident doctor and felt my breath leave me. _Oh fuck!_

**EPOV**

My first day at work kicked off great. The Chief of Medicine, Dr. Stephen Farrell, seemed like a good man. He gave me a brief tour of the hospital before introducing me to my team.

The first surprise to me came in form of the Hale kid, Jasper. The older brother in me wanted to hate him purely on the basis of the fact that he had flirted with my baby sister. However, his easy-going nature made it seem like a wasted effort.

Besides myself, there were two more residents in the neurology department- Dr. Marcus Volturi and Dr. James Wood. Marcus was a middle-aged man reminding me a bit of my father with his introspective look. However, Dr. Wood gave me a funny look when we were introduced which made me feel uncomfortable.

In my team I had four intern doctors- Jasper Hale, Austin Marks, Ben Cheney and Tyler Crowley. Just as I was about to congratulate myself on not having to deal with any female teammates (because the constant staring were a nuisance during my internship in England), I was introduced to the nursing stuff where three out of four were female- _damn it! I was so close!_

I quickly shook hands with Mike Newton, Jessica Stanley, Lauren Mallory and Angela Cheney, Ben's wife- by the looks of matching wedding bands. Out of these four only Angela seemed like a nice person. Jessica and Lauren tried to give me flirty smiles but in reality it made them look like they were selling tooth pastes or something!

When a bell chimed signaling the start of my shift, I motioned to my team members to follow me but Dr. Farrell stopped me by saying that there was _another girl_ in my team- a pharmacist- who hadn't showed up yet! This pissed me off.

_First I get stuck with _four girls_ in my team and now I have to _wait_ for one to show up in time? No fucking way! There's a limit to a guy's tolerance. And honestly I can't even see why a pharmacist should be in a medical team at the first place._

When I expressed my feelings on the subject, the Chief started to reprimand me by listing off her good qualities in which I had the least interest in.

I was looking for a way to shut him up but before I could do anything, a melodious voice cut-off the Chief's rambling by snapping, "What is your _problem_?"

I was startled to hear _that_ voice. _Could it be…?_ I slowly turned my head and found myself staring at the warm deep chocolate eyes of my wife. _What the fuck…?_

Bella and I were staring at each other, open-mouthed, until we heard Dr. Farrell say, "Swan, you're late."

Bella immediately blushed deep red and then looked down before mumbling, "Sorry, Sir. Car trouble." I grimaced at her answer and mentally kicked myself for not making sure that she got to work okay._ Way to be a responsible man, Cullen!_

My inner monologue was interrupted by the Chief's voice, "… a first. So, we'll ignore it this time. Just make sure it doesn't happen again, alright?"

After Bella nodded he looked satisfied and turned to face me, "Cullen, this is Isabella Swan. Ms. Swan is the clinical pharmacist on your team. She is going to be on your rounds with you and advice you on the medicines you are going to use on the patients. I'm sure between the two of you; you will be able to overcome any pharmaceutical hurdles you encounter due to your European medical training. In sensitive cases she'll be in charge of drug monitoring. I hope there will be no problems here." I simply blinked at him when he sternly added the last part.

I was vaguely aware of his giving Bella a short intro of myself and in what capacity she'll need to assist me. However none of his prattling got into my brain because my mind had started racing the moment he addressed _my wife_ as _Ms. Swan_! I mean it was understandable that she didn't have time to change her name on papers but _she must've had notified the hospital that she was getting married, right? Everyone should be aware that she's _my wife… mine!

I stole a quick glance at her left hand and felt my heart drop to my stomach. Her ring was gone. I had to remove my ring when I got into my scrubs and put it inside my wallet because I did not want to risk losing it. But why would she remove it? Was she embarrassed to admit that she was my wife?

My mind was still pre-occupied with my thoughts when Dr. Farrell whished us best of luck and left. After he left Marks had to cough twice to get me moving again. "_Stop thinking about all these shit now, Cullen. You have a job to do. There are sick people here and they need you,_" I said to myself before gesturing everyone to get moving.

As Dr. Farrell had told me I was to select two nurses to take with me on the round and I easily picked Newton and Angela. Bella- however- had no choice but join in on the round.

We moved from patient to patient, the interns taking turns in presenting the cases and when I reviewed the previously given treatments Bella stonily informed me about the reasons for which each drug was prescribed and the frequencies of their dosing the patient was receiving. She avoided eye contact with me, keeping a purely professional tone and I decided to follow her lead and did the same.

After the round was over, I ordered the tests and medicines for my patients as necessary and then told them I'd be in my office if they need me for anything. Everyone nodded and Jasper tried to give me an encouraging smile before scramming towards his assigned patient. I asked Bella to check the levels of electrolytes in the blood work of a patient after Newton had it done and then report to me before going to my office for the first time.

**BPOV**

_"That fucker! That lying… arrogant… bossy fucker! Who the fuck did he think he was? Barging in my work… acting like he fucking owned it all? I'll show him!_" I was mad- fuming mad. I'm pretty sure if I was a creature in the _Harry Potter_ books I'd be a blast-ended skrewt right now- judging by the way I was feeling!

I was still cussing my shitty luck when I see Newton flirting with Stanley. I had to work with them on two days during my internship and let me tell you- it's mentally injurious to co-exist in the same room as those two.

I had some new teammates in this one like Nurse Mallory, Dr. Marks and Dr. Crowley- _and let's not forget your hubby dearest… lying fucker!_ I had worked with Nurse Angela before and she was actually really nice. She was a year older than me and Rose but we had made a bit tentative friendship during that time.

The other intern, besides Jazz, Dr. Cheney- I didn't personally know. But I knew that he was Angela's husband and a member of Jazz's geek squad. So it's not hard to guess that he's most probably a harmless guy-_ Rose might know him though._ As soon as the thought crossed my mind I remembered Rose's warning throat-slitting! _I should go talk to her._

**-OTC-**

Rose was sitting at the desk talking to the floor-in charge, Victoria Simmons, when I went up to her and asked for a minute. She immediately got up and walked with me to the medicine closet.

After she closed the door behind her she said, "God, Bell! You just saved me. Victoria was yapping about her rendezvous with an African guy in the weekend. She was about to tell me his measurements! Eww…"

I stopped her chattering with a whisper-yell, "Rosalie, I'm sure I'm having a major life-crisis without hearing about old-lady sex!"

Her eyes instantly widened as she apologized, "Oh, I'm so sorry, dude! I completely forgot… so, how did it go? Did you know _he_ was the new resident?"

"No, the liar skipped to mention that part during the weekend." I was ready to bang my head against the closet door in frustration by this point! _But, you didn't tell him about your job either, Bella._ I flipped my conscience the bird telling her to shut the fuck up. I did not want to hear to reason.

"Liar? Where did he tell you he worked?" she looked confused as if knowing where my husband worked as a given.

Rosalie's question brought me out of beating the shit out of my conscience as I stiffly replied, "He didn't say where he worked at all. And lying by omission is still lying." She took the hint that I was not to be fucked with and nodded before telling me to go and talk to him to clear it all up. I sighed because this time, Rosalie Hale was right. And I hated not being right.

After deciding to confront Edward I left Rosalie to enjoy Victoria's old-lady sex tales and went to find Newton. I wanted to use the blood report as an excuse to go to Edward's office. This time I saw Newton flirting with another nurse from orthopedic ward.

"Newton, you got the blood reports from bed-17?" I asked without any preamble. He gave the nurse a cheeky grin before sauntering towards me.

When he was close- too close for me to be comfortable- he said, "I got it right here, Swan," he held up a folder but as I went to reach for it he lowered his hand and said, "but it's gonna cost you a kiss."

I made a nauseated expression and replied, "I'd rather kiss my own feet. If you don't hand it over right now I will take it up to the Chief. This can be construed as sexual harassment in workplace, you know?"

He pulled a face before handing the folder over saying, "One of these days, Bella, you're gonna say yes." I wanted to say I had already said _yes_ to someone who was kind of our boss right now. And I wasn't even sure if I made the right decision or not.

The thing was for whatever reason I didn't want people to know about me and Edward. I feared they'll start treating me differently and besides we had just decided to give _us_ a try- _what if it doesn't work out?_ The thought of us not working out reminded me of the task I had at hand and taking the folder from Newton I sharply turned to go to the office of the new resident.

**-OTC-**

Edward looked up from the case files he was studying when I just barged in without knocking in his office. His shocked look slowly transformed into a frown. He opened his mouth to speak but I ploughed on before he even uttered a word—

"What the hell are you doing here? It's _my_ hospital. _I_ work here. I don't want my personal and professional lives to clash!"

His frown deepened and then he glared at me, "Really, _Miss Swan_? I didn't know that there's been a decree enforced recently that states that I cannot work in any place you were employed in."

His glare made me snap back, "Some things do not need to be said out loud. Common sense should have told you that!"

His eyes narrowed as he shouts back, "Did the thought even cross your mind that I may be equally surprised as you in here? What the hell are you accusing me of, _Miss Swan_?"

"I am accusing you of lying, _Dr. Cullen_- lying by omission. We spent a lot of time together yesterday and that gave you plenty of opportunities to tell me where you were starting your work. Yet being the liar you are you forgot to mention that, how convenient is that?" I am sure I had my bitch-face on and if we were in middle school I would've loved to light a fire under his ass before screaming, "Liar, liar, pants on fire!"

My sarcastic reply made his nostrils flare and he yells, "If I am a liar then so are you. Because during those opportune moments, you didn't think of telling me that either- did you,_ Miss Swan?_"

_Damn it! He caught me!_ I try my distraction tactic to stop getting myself trapped and ask, "Why are you sneering at my name like that?"

He pretended to think before he shot back, "Hmm… let's see. Maybe because people here think of my wife as an unmarried woman? Are you ashamed of me or something? You're not even wearing your ring."

I checked his hand that was lying flat on his desk and clenched my hands in fists before answering, "No one cares about my marital status here. I left the ring at home because I would have to constantly wash my hands while working. Besides I don't see you wearing your ring either. And if you continue the way you are behaving right now- you may be right about me being ashamed of you."

He looked startled at my answer as if it just occurred to him that he had been yelling at me all this time. He opened his mouth but I dropped the folder on his table and said with forced calmness, "Here are the reports you wanted to look at. Take a look and if you need to discuss any points with me you can find me in the ward. See you later, Dr. Cullen." Then I quickly rushed out before he could see the tears forming in my eyes.

**A/N: So… Rudeward is back…. with Bitchella.**

**What do you think? Leave me your thoughts and review, please?**

**Until next time… take care.**

**Ann**


	18. Chapter 18: Nosey Pantoprazole Lover

**Disclaimer: No copyrights infringement intended. I don't own Twilight saga or any of its awesome characters.**

**A/N: I have said this before and I would like to say it once more that I have absolutely no idea about the hospital system in the US. **

**IN ORDER TO CLEAR UP ANY CONFUSION REGARDING Bella's WORKING WITH Edward, I WOULD LIKE POINT OUT THE FACT THAT Bella IS A _CLINICAL PHARMACIST_ NOT A _HOSPITAL PHARMACIST_. ACCORDING TO REMINGTON'S BOOK OF PHARMACEUTICAL SCIENCES, IT IS IN THE CLINICAL PHARMACIST'S RESPONSIBILITIES TO JOIN THE DOCTOR IN THE ROUNDS, BE A PART OF A MEDICAL TEAM, MAKE SUGGESTIONS TO THE DOCTOR ABOUT A TREATMENT REGIEMEN, COUNSEL THE IN-PATIENTS AND THEIR ATTENDANTS ABOUT THE DRUG BEING ADMINISTERED AND PERFORMING THERAPEUTIC DRUG MONITORING FOR NARROW THERAPEUTIC INDEX DRUGS LIKE WARFARIN. **

**EVEN IF IT IS NOT IN PRACTICE IN THE US, I PUT IT IN THE STORY FOR THE STORY'S SAKE BECAUSE IT IS THEORETICALLY CORRECT AND IT'S A FICTION, PEOPLE. ENJOY IT.**

**I hope that cleared it all up for you. Enjoy Chapter-18.**

**Chapter-18: Nosey Pantoprazole Lover**

**EPOV**

After Bella had stormed out of my office, I did something I never thought I would- I called Emmett- to get advice on girl problem. He picked up on the first ring, "Hey Bro, how's the work going? Anything interesting happened yet?"

His snicker made me think and I asked, "Em, do you know where Bella works?"

He right out laughed at my face, "Dude, you are _so_ fucked! I wish I could see your face right now. I found out this morning. How's it going with her?"

I sighed, "You don't know half of it, brother. I'm about to blow my brain out!" His tone sobered up and he asked me what had happened. So I told him- how I was pissed when I heard I had to deal with another female colleague, how I was plotting to get her removed from my team when Bella showed up, how she hadn't told anyone about getting married, how I saw a male nurse (Newton) looking her up and down, how she came into my office to confront me for not telling her where I worked, how I yelled at her without meaning to, how she ran away from me after that… all of it.

Em guffawed loudly then said, "Man, you do know what this is, right? It's just sexual tension between the two of you. I'm telling you, dude, once you have sex all these tension will disappear. Besides you're married now- so Papa Masen wouldn't mind about it I'm sure." I wished I could reach in through the phone and hit my cousin when he said stuff like that.

"Em, you know it's about more than what Papa Masen said to me. Besides we don't know each other that well. So bedding her now will be a bit like a one-night stand. And I refuse to do something like that; because _Bella_ deserves better. Just tell me what I should do… while refraining from any sexual references," I chided him while mentally questioning whether Bella would let me get near her after yelling at her like a douche bag.

Emmett's tone was grave when he said, "Okay, bro. I guess you need to give her a little space. So that she can clear her head and from what I can feel- you need a little space too." _I can do that._ So I thanked Emmett before hanging up. Now I just had to ignore the furious wife and give us a little space._ How hard can it be, right?_

The moment I got out of my office to go receive a new patient I realized that it was indeed going to be _very hard_. I finally had a chance to look at Bella closely and in the hideous pink scrubs she still looked delectable to me.

The scrubs accentuated her curves and the blush of fury covering her cheeks made me seriously consider the consequences of just touching her cheek to feel the heat coming off of her blush. But the one time she caught my eyes she gave me a withering look making me rethink the whole idea. So I decided to follow Emmett's solution for now.

**-OTC-**

When I got off my shift on the first day I tried to look for Bella. Not because I wanted to be near her, I was totally going to give her space. It was because I thought she might need a ride home._ Yeah, keep telling yourself that, Cullen!_

When I asked Hale about her he shook his head saying Bella asked Rosalie to give her a ride during lunch break. _See, she doesn't need an idiot like you. She has people looking out for her._ I mentally cuss my luck that Bella had both her friends working with her who would always be ready to drive her to and from work.

I picked up dinner on the way home so that she wouldn't have to cook after the long day but she was not home when I got there. I waited till ten before deciding to send her a text message—

_When are you gonna get home? Should I keep dinner on the table? ~~~ Edward~~~_

My phone chimed immediately with the text alert and I opened the text only to feel punched in the gut.

_You have dinner. I'm gonna stay with Rose tonight… to help her sort my old room out. She'll drive me to work tomorrow. So… have a good night. ~~~ Bella ~~~_

I wanted to argue with her to come home but I decided to hold off to give her the space she might need. So instead I replied with a '_you too'_ before heating up my now cold dinner. But after eating a few bites I just dumped it in the waste bin and decided to go to bed early.

That was the first night we spent under different roofs after getting married.

**BPOV**

When I begged Rosalie to let me stay with her that night she looked at me with sadness in her eyes, "B, you know I love you, right?" When I nodded she continued, "And as your best friend it is as much my duty to help you out of a mess as it is to support you in everything you do."

I looked downward avoiding her eyes. She sighed before taking a hold of my arm, "I am not saying that he was not a jerk to you that night at the bar. But you are being unreasonable right now. It was both of your responsibilities to discuss the matter of employment before this morning."

I could not help the pout that formed involuntarily, "So, you are saying I am to be blamed?"

She shook her head and said, "No, B. I am not placing any blames. I am just pointing out the fact that you need to communicate. You need to talk to him and straighten everything out… without yelling at each other. You get what I am saying?"

I grimaced, "Fine. Then if I happen to kill him tonight the moment I see him it's all on you."

She laughed lightly and said, "Oh no, you don't. It is one of the responsibilities of best friends to divert each other's mind when a boy problem arises. So, you will come with me tonight. We'll drink shitty beer from Jazz's stash and then pass out watching White Collar. How does that sound?"

Her ability to instantly lift my spirit made me smile, "I say that sounds like a plan."

**-OTC-**

After my shift I almost dragged Rosalie out so that we would be out of the hospital before Edward came looking for me. I just didn't want another confrontation. _Or maybe you're just a wuss, Swan!_ I had decided to stay the night with Rose so that it will be easier for her to drive me tomorrow. It was a sound plan- at least that's what I told myself.

When at night Edward texted me about dinner and I told him about my plans to stay with Rose, I had secretly hoped he would insist that I come home. I was thinking of a way of asking him what he was having for dinner, suddenly feeling guilty about not being there when I told him just the day before that I'd cook for him. But when he gave in without any argument, I had another reason to add to my pity-party. _A good fucking night indeed!_

**-OTC-**

The next morning while I was sipping coffee after the restless night, my mind kept wondering what Edward must be doing for breakfast. He must be so lost in the kitchen. I wondered if he went back to buying hot water for tea. _Stop wallowing, Swan. It's not like the guy was starving without you. If you worry so much about him why don't you go back home and see how's he fending for himself?_

My bitchy subconscious was right. I decided that after my shift that evening I would ask Jazz to drive me to Edward's, seeing as Rose had a double shift that day. I really needed to get my truck working again. I would call Archie, my usual mechanic, to come look at it. With everything planned out I went out with Rose to the hospital.

On our round we met a patient who had been admitted during the night. Mrs. Fenton had come with complaints of severe headache on one side of the frontal part of her head. Dr. Wood, who was on duty when she arrived, chalked it out to be a simple headache but she was admitted due to her husband's insistence. When Edward saw her chart, he asked her about her complaints and then he ordered an x-ray of her skull and paranasal sinuses. He also ordered a serological test just to check her blood status.

It seemed a bit excessive for what Dr. Wood had deemed as simple headache but no one dared to contradict him. I wanted to ask him about it out of curiosity but seeing him act so professional made me hold my tongue- for once.

We avoided each other and when he needed to tell me something his tone was utterly professional. He seemed so cold from the childish man I had spend a fun day in the super market with. Also seeing him in doctor mode in his green scrubs did strange things to me. _Maybe I'm having PMS… why on earth would some guy in scrubs turn me on when I worked in a freaking hospital?_ But the point was- it wasn't _some guy_ in scrubs… it was _Edward_ in scrubs… and he looked fuckhot!

When nurse Mallory brought the reports in the nurses' station, Jasper excitedly shouted, "I _knew_ it! The guy's a freaking genius, dude!," at a very startled Ben before going into Edward's office. When I turned to Ben for answers he simply handed over Mrs. Fenton's reports to me. It seemed like she had developed a bad case of sinusitis- which was what Edward seemed to suspect when he ordered the tests. This would make him out as a good doctor and I felt a little bit proud thinking he had such a knack for quick diagnosis.

When Edward came to check on Mrs. Fenton with the results in his hands, I silently followed him because I wanted to see if he gloated at being right. "_Seeing the arrogant bastard he was to me- he probably will,"_ I thought. But I was wrong. He calmly explained the whole situation to Mr. and Mrs. Fenton before turning to order their nurse- Lauren Mallory- about the medicines to be given.

"I think we'll go for Amoxicillin 250, t.i.d, p.o. and for symptomatic relief let's go for Ibuprofen 400, t.i.d., a.c. alright, Mallory?"

Lauren looked like he was speaking all gibberish and simply gaped at him before stuttering, "t.i.d, Dr.?"

Edward huffed before explaining, "What I meant was Amoxicillin 250 m.g., _thrice_ daily, orally and Ibuprofen 400 m.g., thrice daily, after meals. You have to keep up with abbreviations like these, Nurse!" When Lauren still looked questioningly at him I decided to intervene knowing what must have confused her—

"Nurse Mallory, Ibuprofen is Advil." She finally nodded and I decided to bring something that had caught my notice to Edward's, "Dr. Cullen, this chart shows that Mrs. Fenton has a history of PUD. So shouldn't you give her a GI protectant with the Ibuprofen?"

I could feel the frustration rolling off him when he stiffly answered, "I think that's _my_ call to make, _Miss Swan_, seeing that she's _my_ patient."

His answer pissed me off and I contradicted him saying, "That's where you are wrong, Dr. Cullen. Seeing that we're on the same team here, she's my patient as well. So, I suggest you prescribe her a proton pump inhibitor along with the Advil."

He almost growled at Lauren without answering me, "Add an Omeprazole 20 m.g. 40 minutes before the _Advil_."

That moment I looked down at the chart hanging by the bed and saw that Mrs. Fenton was pregnant. So again I intervened, "Dr. Cullen, I think you should prescribe Pantoprazole not Omeprazole. It's better for her."

Edward turned around to face me, towering over me before almost shouting in my face, "What is it that you want? What is wrong with the Omeprazole? _Miss Swan_, you are _nothing_ but a pharmacist. You don't know what's better for my patients. It's the _doctor_ who's supposed to order the meds. And I say she'll be given an Omeprazole." _What the fuck? He _did not_ just imply that I had no business in here! I'll shove his fucking Omeprazole up his ass!_

I was furious when I refused to let him intimidate me and shot right back, "Well, if you had taken a few minutes to read her history you'd have known that she's expecting. And in US, Pantoprazole is the only safe PPI that can be given during pregnancy. And I was not ordering the meds I was merely giving you a suggestion." I then turned around and noticing the gaping looks of our coworkers I did what I could think of- I ran like a bat out of hell.

I hid in the medicine closet where I was sure no one would look for me so that I could restore some of my composure back- but I was wrong.

**EPOV**

The moment Bella ran away from me I knew I had acted like an ass. But I was too much angry to accept that yet. So, I ordered the fucking Pantoprazole and then took Hale by his elbow to a corner.

Before I could say anything he opened his mouth, "Are you guys okay, Edward? I know we're supposed to act like all professionals here and I respect you as a doctor but you were being kind of an ass to her and I look up to her as my sister. So, don't hurt her, okay?"

I knew he was right but I ignored his lecture on professionalism and asked him roughly, "Where the hell did she go?"

He gave me a smile that said he was feeling sorry for me and then said, "I am not sure but if I had to guess, I'd have a go at the medicine closet. It's a temperature controlled room and just the pharmacists are allowed there. So she would know that no one will go looking for her there. Go and apologize to her. She's good at her job… it's not a flaw."

I wanted to say that _yes it was her mistake when she made me look bad in front of my team, that I would go and find her to question her intention for insulting me openly and that I would under no circumstance apologize to her- _but I didn't say any of it. I just shoved him out of my way and tore through the hallway looking for the damn closet. When I twisted the door open and stepped inside, the first sound that met my ears was sniffling.

I realized she was crying the same moment she realized that I was in there with her. In the darkness I fumbled with the light switch and when it was turned on I saw her sitting on the floor. She was shielding her eyes with one hand and the other hand was clenched in a fist on her lap. She asked me in a voice thick with tears, "What the hell are you doing here? Only _pharmacists_ are allowed here. Get the fuck out."

Hearing her cuss would have been a huge turn on for me if I wasn't so blind with rage. Instead of apologizing to her like Jasper advised me to, I snapped at her, "I am here to ask the same thing to you. What the fuck were you doing back there? What is your problem with me? You made me look bad in front of all those people in there." I guess my accusations pissed her off even more as she scrambled up to stand before me toe-to-toe.

Then she shot back at me, "You are _so_ full of yourself! Really who the fuck do you think you are? If I know _one _thing- it's medicine. I may not be a doctor like you but you have absolutely _no right_ to treat me like something that got stuck in your shoe just for the heck of it. I was right to correct you back there. You know it; you're just too arrogant to admit it. Besides _you _made yourself look bad back there for prescribing without checking her medical history first!"

She was heaving with the force of her rant. I could feel her breath on my face in that constricted space. I could almost taste her strawberry smell on my tongue. I knew I had to distract myself because having a hard-on while wearing scrubs would be a dead giveaway. So I did what I could to stop myself from kissing her at that moment- I continued shouting at her.

"You know what, _Swan_? I was not at fault in there. You just wanted to look good… a know-it-all. So you made me look fucking incompetent in front of everyone- including my patient. This is what you do, isn't it? You just charge in without thinking for a beat and then run the fuck away without confronting the result of the mess you created."

She looked startled at my new accusation and breathed her reply, "What do you mean? What mess did I leave behind?"

I was on a roll and I didn't want to think of how her breath felt on my face. So I continued my shouting, "You don't even remember, do you? We both were shocked at seeing each other here yesterday. I decided to try to make peace with you and got dinner for us on my way home. But what did you do? You ran away to your friend's house- without having the decency to tell me to my face that you didn't want to be anywhere near me. And now, here- you're doing the same thing again. You're always running away."

She opened her mouth then closed it. Then she turned to leave the closet before stopping. And then shook her head before saying, "Oh, who am I kidding? Fuck it!" I was about to ask what she was talking about but suddenly she grabbed the back of my head with her right hand and then her lips were on me. She was kissing me- _Bella was kissing me!_

The moment my brain registered what was happening I started to respond to her kiss in kind. It was nothing like the sweet kiss we had shared on our wedding day. No, it was hot, hungry and possibly the best kiss of my life._ Oh, who am I kidding, it was _undoubtedly_ the best kiss of my life!_

We were attacking each other's mouths with all our frustrations pouring out. I slowly brought my tongue out and licked her lower lip thinking of the times she had made me crazy with want by simply biting it. She gasped and suddenly the best kiss of my life became a whole lot better.

I inched my tongue inside her mouth. She looked into my eyes before slowly grazing my tongue with her own. The kiss turned wet and my soldier started to stand up to salute Bella. I tried to back my lower body just a little bit to avoid poking her with it. But Bella had other ideas.

She brought her other hand up and entwined it with the right one in my hair. I sighed at the feeling of her slender fingers tugging on my hair. She moaned in response. The sound went straight to my dick making it stand up in a full mast. I decided to end the kiss so that I would not end up having sex with my wife for the first time inside a fucking medicine closet.

I brought my hands up to cup her cheeks and then slowed the kiss down to soft pecks. After one… two… three… chaste kisses I let her go. I could finally feel the warmth radiating from her flushed cheeks. Bella then slowly opened her eyes and met mine. Her eyes looked like molten pools of chocolate with desire.

She then looked down and said to the ground, "You're right. I ran away; but it was not because I don't want to see your face- it was because I thought we needed a little space to process what happened yesterday. I am sorry I acted like a bitch yesterday… and this morning. And I am really sorry I ruined your dinner plans last night. I just…"

I placed one finger on her lips silencing her before taking her chin between my thumb and forefinger and lifting up her face so that I could look into her eyes.

"So, are you going to run away after what happened just now?" I asked.

She quickly shook her head before answering, "No, I'd already decided to come back home tonight. So, I guess I'll see you tonight, at home, Dr. Cullen. That is if you want me to…" she stopped uncertainly.

I nodded at her happy to hear her confession and whispered a soft '_of course I do, Bella_'. She then stepped out of my reach and said, "I should go. If people see us coming out of the closet together, they'll gossip. Get out of here after few minutes, okay?"

When I gave her an '_okay'_ she started for the door. Just before opening it she turned to me and calmly said, "And Edward, I am happy to see that you made the correct diagnosis for that woman. I really was trying to help out the patient nothing else."

_How can she still think about that? I was honestly having trouble with remembering my own name after that kiss!_ The answer was simple- that woman was trouble.

I tried to get my mind focused on the head above my shoulders and replied, "I know, Bella. I really admire your passion for your patients. I am sorry for being an ass back there with you. Can you forgive me for that?"

She looked right into my eyes before murmuring, "You are already forgiven."

When she left me there alone in the closet I kept hoping we would get a fresh start this way. _A guy can hope after that kiss, can't he?_

**BPOV**

_Oh my God! What did I just do? Did I really just kiss the living daylights out of my husband? Inside a fucking medicine closet… at work? I can't believe I did that!_ I was screaming in my head with glee; because I had just had the best kiss of my life.

I used to envy the lucky bitches that got to kiss their heroes in movies but now I had my own movie-worthy kiss- with the toe-curling! French kissing had seemed quite unhygienic to me before but being French-kissed by Edward was a lot of things- but _not_ unhygienic!

I almost floated- well I walked but it felt like I was floating- to Rose. When she heard my tale she had two things to say- one, Edward could be a big douche sometimes; and second she thought I would happily let him fuck my brains out before my birthday! I didn't know about fucking or sex of any kind for that matter- but I wouldn't be opposed to more of those kisses from him before my birthday- that was for sure!

**A/N: I should add that I do not mean any offense to the nursing community because of the Lauren thing. I just hate her guts... but hey, if there are bad ones like Lauren there are also good ones like Angela, right? Besides one of my great-aunts is a nurse and I have seen how hard she has to work for the job.**

**Anyways, let me know what you think.**

**Take care.**

**Ann**

**P.S. I am so sorry for the late update. FFn was being a royal pain in the ass and not letting me update. :(**


	19. Chapter 19: Truce?

**Disclaimer: No copyrights infringement intended. I don't own Twilight saga or any of its awesome characters. I only have a complete set of Friends TV series... and an unhealthy amount of obsession with Mac & Cheese! :D**

**A/N: Thanks to everyone who has reviewed, favorited, put on alert or simply... read OTC. You guys make my days a little bit brighter. Thank you.**

**Enjoy Chapter-19 and I'll see you at the end of this chapter! :-)**

**Chapter-19: Truce?**

**BPOV**

After the euphoria of the kiss finally wore off I started panicking about how I should behave with Edward._ Jeez, Swan, you literally tried to kiss the lips off of the guy. _Now_ you wonder what to say to him? A bit late for that, isn't it?_ I shushed my inner-bitch and decided to let him take the lead. _If he behaves like nothing happened, then so will I._ That was the plan.

When our shift ended Edward asked me if I wanted him to drive me home but me being the chicken, said I had already asked Jasper; scared of any awkwardness in the car. So I let Jasper give me a ride home but when I got there Edward was already there- waiting for me before going in.

We went in together before each setting off towards our own rooms. When I had freshened up and went downstairs, I saw that Edward was still up in his room. I decided to make us dinner- a proper dinner not take-out. So what else I could make but- _Mac and Cheese_?

Edward came down when I was grating the cheese. He looked a bit puzzled at me before exclaiming, "Are you cooking dinner? I haven't had a home cooked dinner since Mom left here for Forks after we got settled here."

His cheerfulness made me smile and feel guilty at the same time; smile because of his playful nature and guilty for running away the previous night. Trying to find an ice-breaker I asked if he wanted to ask Emmett to join us for dinner. He quickly shook his head saying, "Nope. Tonight I want you all to myself."

Involuntarily I caught the dual meaning of his words and my widening eyes must have clued him in too as he coughed loudly before continuing, "What I meant was this is the first time you are cooking in here and I just wanted it to be us, you know?"

I nodded before smiling a bit sheepishly for reading too much into his words. "_A kiss and you think he wants in your pants? Jesus, Swan, calm the fuck down already!"_ I chastised myself and went back to my cheese.

After me silently working and him silently looking on, Edward broke the quiet by asking, "What are you making? Can I help you?"

I looked suspiciously at him, immediately on guard- _if he said he didn't like M&C there'd be hell to pay-_ and replied slowly, "Mac and Cheese."

Edward gave me an even bigger smile and said, "Really? I used to have it regularly before I went to college. After that it seemed like a _kid's_ _food_ so I never asked mom to make it anymore."

I had to smile at his logic before leaning down to say conspiratorially, "Well, there's no one here who'll judge us for having a _kid's dinner_. So, I think we're safe. Besides I _love_ Mac and Cheese."

He smiled at me bashfully before saying softly, "I do, too." Hearing him say _those_ words brought back the memory of our first kiss which of course led to the kiss of the century we had that afternoon._ Does it feel hot in here?_

I was snapped out of my fantasy by Edward asking again if I needed him to help me with anything. I arched an eyebrow at him and said, "Edward, not to be rude or anything, but you can't even boil water. So, I think I'll be able to manage on my own."

He then did something that I never… ever…EVER… expected Edward Cullen, Rude Adonis, jackass extraordinaire, to do- he pouted. He fucking pouted making me itch to tug on that lower lip with my teeth. _Oh for God sakes! How the fuck can he be so sexy and so cute all at once? It should be illegal!_

To stop him from pouting I thought for a moment before saying, "Well, you can do one thing- you can choose something to watch while we eat and bring drinks to the living room. It'll just take a few minutes before the food is ready anyway." He gave me another smile before going into the living room. _If I keep falling for those ridiculously bright eyes and that pout I am a fucking goner!_

After I took the dish out of the oven I put the M&C in two plates and took them to the living room.

There Edward sat with a big smile on his face holding the DVD cover of CSI. I handed him his plate before squatting down to check the DVDs on the shelf. There I found my favorite TV series of all times- _Friends_. I quickly stood up holding the DVD out to him.

Edward furrowed his eyebrows and then said, "You want to watch that? It's Emmett's, I reckon. I never watched mindless comedies like him."

I took that as a personal insult and snapped back, "Hey, _don't ever_ call _Friends_ mindless comedy. If Emmett loves it he just earned a bit more respect in my book. We've dealt with serious all day. I vote for watching something fun and crazy right now. So, I say we'll watch this. Any problem there, Dr. Cullen?"

He held his hands up before saying, "Nope, not a problem, Mrs. Cullen. You're in charge here. Put it on. Let me see what the fuss is all about." I let the _Mrs. Cullen_ part slide and went ahead to put the DVD on. I chose the pilot episode silently swearing I'll make him watch the whole series if it's the last thing I did._ I'll show him mindless comedy!_

By the end of the first three episodes we were both laughing hard and Edward was holding on to his sides as he laughed care-freely with me. _Hmm… maybe he has some redeemable qualities after all,_ I thought.

When we decided to call it a night seeing that we had a 24-hour shift the next day, we were still smiling like goofs at each other. Edward offered to clean up since I had cooked and I graciously accepted. _Well, I accepted because I am a lazy bitch but he doesn't need to know that now, does he?_

We climbed up the stairs together to go to our room. As we reached my door- about to part ways, Edward stopped me by saying, "Bella, I'm sorry I was an ass to you and also for yelling at you. I don't want to fight with you. Can we… just peacefully co-exists for now? I can give you a ride to and from work if you like."

I felt my good mood evaporate just like that. I don't know what I was hoping for- maybe a goodnight kiss? Or, him asking me out on a date? But _peacefully co-existing_ was not it. _I let him take the lead and _this_ is what he does?_

I knew I needed to get away from him before I blurted out something stupid like- '_I don't like peace' _or some shit_._ So I mumbled that I had already asked Jasper to pick me up tomorrow and my car would be fixed by the time we got off work- which was the truth. He nodded, and then sighed before wishing me a quiet goodnight and slipping into his room.

I mechanically changed for bed. I didn't want to cry; because it wasn't really a rejection. There was no repulsion or hostility in his expression. The man married me and gave me a place to stay without asking me to sleep with him. He endured my bitchiness at work and forgave me after I ran away from him. He just asked for peace in return. I could give him that. So I wiped my tears before promising myself to offer him a truce- nothing else.

**EPOV**

"_You are fucking wuss, Cullen! Peacefully co-exist? PEACEFULLY CO-EXIST? How hard is it? Bella, would you like to go out with me sometime… on a date? You can't even say that, can you? You're such a git!_" I mentally kicked myself for not having the courage to ask Bella out.

The truth was I wanted there to be an '_us'_, and for that I wanted to ask her out on our own terms- not being pressurized by our parents. But I, being the wimpy-ass freak, chickened out at the last moment and went with what immediately came out of my big-fat mouth, which just happened to be _peacefully co-exist_. _Who the hell even says stuff like that in today's world?_

During the night I made up my mind several times to just go to her room and ask her out but I chickened out every time. Finally I succumbed into a fitful sleep where I dreamed that I was wearing my geeky glasses from high school and Bella was laughing in my face calling me a geeky stupid boy… like _her_.

**-OTC-**

The next morning the first thing that infiltrated my brain was the smell coming from the kitchen. I descended the stairs afraid of waking up to find that I was dreaming. But it was no dream.

My stomach growled loudly at the sight of Bella putting together sandwiches for our lunch while flipping omelets at the same time. I couldn't even remember when was the last time I had home-cooked packed lunch; during high school maybe?

Bella must've felt my stare because she looked up from her task and greeted me, "Hey, good morning. I thought since we'll have a double shift to look forward to today, we could take a pre-packed lunch." Her voice seemed normal. Maybe she has forgiven me for my stupidity last night. _Or she doesn't give a fuck about going out on dates with your sorry ass._ I shushed my subconscious and decided to accept the olive branch she had extended with the lunch and just go with it.

So, I gave her a grateful smile before saying, "That would be great, actually. What sandwiches are you making?"

She mumbled something about not knowing what I liked and then said, "There's a PB&J and a ham sandwich. Pick one." I literally zoned out the moment she said PB&J. _Seriously! This woman is trying to kill me with her awesomeness! First she makes me Mac & Cheese and now PB&J? Damn! If we weren't already married I'd be in the danger of dropping down on my knees to beg her to marry me!_

My feelings must have been apparent on my face because she smirked at me and pushed a Clingfilm-wrapped sandwich towards me saying, "I'm guessing you want the PB&J?" I nodded dumbly before thanking her.

After that we rushed through our breakfast and I had Bella's tea once again. Suddenly I noticed she didn't have a tea-cup in front of her and asked, "You don't drink tea?"

She grimaced before replying, "I'm just not fond of tea. I'll get a coffee from the vending machine when I get to the hospital." Again I felt like shit. The woman was making me tea and cooking my meals and I was such a douche that I hadn't even noticed that she needed a coffee-maker at home? I needed to repair this- pronto.

So, when after a few minutes Alec called through the intercom to say that Bella's _brother_ was there to pick her up, I bade her goodbye and then went to Emmett to ask him to order a coffee maker for me by the next week. Once he heard it was for Bella, Emmett surprisingly agreed without pulling my leg. _He must really care for Bella like a little sister._

**-OTC-**

That Wednesday a major accident occurred in the nearest highway so the ER was literally flooded with patients. We all had to be there to help out with whatever we could. I didn't get to see Bella except for during my round because the clinical pharmacist in the CVS unit had called in sick and Bella had to manage the patients there as well as in our own ward.

After six gruesome hours in the ER, I handed over a hand injury to Hale and Marks to check if they could detect the extent of nerve injury as a test and took my lunch break. The PB&J was so good- especially since Bella had put strawberry jam in it that I wanted to kiss her as a thank you. I had never liked strawberry before but the smell reminded me of Bella and then and there I fell in love with strawberry Jam.

I saw Rosalie in the cafeteria and asked her where Bella was. She gave me a knowing look before telling me that Bella was busy monitoring a patient on Warfarin therapy. I sighed quietly and before going back to work, I sent Bella a text message—

_Thank you for the PB&J. It was delicious. How was your sandwich? ~~~ Edward~~~_

I got sucked in to work the moment I got off the elevator. Apparently both of my interns were so sure of themselves they were about to ask the resident neurosurgeon to cut open my patient; when in reality the boy had no nerve damage at all! _Way to test the interns, Cullen!_

The next time I got a few minutes break to get water I checked my iphone and there was a new text message from Bella—

_You are welcome. My sandwich was good too- seeing as I was the one who made it! Jazz said you are almost drowning in patients! I hope you get some time to get dinner. ~~~ Bella ~~~_

I wanted to gloat at the concern I detected in her reply but since she was behaving in a platonic manner I decided to respect her wishes and sent her a '_Yeah, you too_' as reply before going back to the ER.

**BPOV**

Edward and I were co-existing. We were flat-mates and we co-existed peacefully. Still I felt a slight sting of sadness when I didn't see him almost the whole day Wednesday- unless you count during our routine rounds.

When I finally managed to find some time for dinner I called Jasper to find out if he were free and _subtly_ ask if Edward was free for a break as well. However I must have been subtle like a freaking elephant walking on a plastic ball. Because the moment Jasper picked up the phone his first words were, "He's busy right now, sis. A patient has just come out of the OR and he's been called to check his responses to nervous stimuli. I, however, am free as a bird."

I grunted saying I wanted to ask him if he wanted to take a break since Rose was about to go on hers as well and then vehemently declining that I had any interest in Edward- whatsoever. So in the end of the day, I had to have dinner without Edward while he was poking a patient with a hammer. _Lovely fucking day, indeed!_

**-OTC-**

The next day, Thursday, when I finally got off my shift after the morning round with both Edward and Dr. Ellis, the Cardio resident, I was feeling like a fucking zombie! The moment I walked into the parking garage, my mood lifted. Because there- sitting beside Rose's BMW was my truck! _I'd have to thank Archie for hurrying up with my truck._ I practically threw myself inside the cab of my truck and drove back home.

It seemed Edward had beat me to the house-again. Because the first thing that caught my eyes was the haphazardly thrown lab coat on the living room floor and then I saw his door was closed when I got up to my room. I decided to let him sleep off his exhaustion and went to take a shower before lying down to fall asleep immediately.

**-OTC-**

When I woke up it was dark outside my window. I decided to don on a pair of yoga pants and a simple t-shirt before going downstairs. I saw Edward lounging on the couch with a book in his hands. Hearing my footsteps he looked up and smiled, "Hi, I heard you worked pretty hard yesterday? What do you want for dinner? I could order take-out."

I smiled back at his opening line and said, "Hey. From what I heard, you had a busier day than me. So why don't you choose something to watch while I quickly put together something to eat?"

He protested saying I should rest after the long shift but I simply told him I liked cooking. The truth was I liked cooking _for him_. The way he smiled when he heard I was making M&C and the way his eyes twinkled at the sight of PB&J made me _want to_ cook for him. _But that's just because we were co-existing, right?_

I went into the kitchen and went for fast and trendy instead of complex but classy and made chicken stir fry for both of us. We again had a TV dinner watching _Friends_.

It seemed like we were getting on a track- friendly breakfast, work, cooking dinner, watching Friends and finally saying goodnight at the door. _Now the only problem was I just had to stop myself from wanting to kiss him- shouldn't be too hard, right?_

**-OTC-**

It was Friday and I was so looking forward to having a whole day off the next day. I had tons of things to do- most important one was laundry. I was mentally checking stuff off my to-do list while pigging out on lunch when suddenly my phone started ringing and flashing a name I had learned to both love and fear in the past two weeks- Alice.

I apprehensively put the phone up to my ear and said, "Hey, Alice. What's up? How are you?"

Her greeting was accusatory when she started, "How do you think I am, Bella? After such a long wait I finally get a sister but she doesn't even call me all week to ask me how I am."

I instantly felt bad- Alice had a way of making you feel guilty for things- and mumbled, "We had been swarmed at work, Allie. Anyway I can make it up to you?" The moment the words left my mouth I wanted to take them back. But Alice jumped at the chance and started talking excitedly.

"Of course, you can, Bella. Right now I am driving towards Seattle- well I stopped for gas and decided to call you- but you get the point. The thing is I want to go clubbing. I haven't been to any American clubs yet and I want to check out the night life. I have already talked to Rosalie and she said you and Ed have a day off tomorrow. She agreed to come along because her shift doesn't start till tomorrow evening. So I'll get to your place within three hours, I think. Then we'll get ready and go clubbing. Rose already said there's a new club she wanted to try. So, what do you think?" she finally stopped to take a breath.

I wanted to say, "_I think you should take a few sedatives and then maybe sleep for about a year. And Rose wants to try out the whole fucking city. That didn't mean we all do too._" But my manners prevented me from doing so and I just said, "Umm… I don't know, Alice. I'm not really a clubbing kind of person. I don't think Edward would want to go, either."

She immediately started tittering, "Oh, nonsense, Bella. Everyone is a clubbing kind of person. I will make sure Edward agrees too." I mentally face-palmed because I was sure she was going to manipulate Edward into saying yes. I was looking for another escape route when she asked me, "Hey, Bella, will you please ask Jasper to come with us as well?"

Her question made me smile and reminded me no matter how over-bearing she got, I still loved Alice. I had already sensed something between those two during our reception party. For them, I decided, I would endure anything- even something as mind-numbing as clubbing. So I promised Alice that I would bring Jasper with us and also said that clubbing _could be_ fun. _Yeah, Swan, you are such a liar!_ _Looked like we have a _killer _evening to look forward to!_

**A/N: Okay, first off... not one of my best chapters, I know. But who here has missed Alice? *Holds up hand nervously***

**Let me know what you thought of the chapter and leave a review, please?**

**Take care.**

**Ann**


	20. Chapter 20: Time for Drunken Dancing!

**Disclaimer: No copyrights infringement intended. I don't own Twilight saga or any of its awesome characters.**

**A/N: Thanks to everyone who has reviewed, favorited, put on alert or simply... read OTC. You guys make my days a little bit brighter. Thank you. Ready for clubbing? ;-)**

**Enjoy Chapter-20 and I'll see you at the end of this chapter! :-)**

**Chapter-20: Time for Drunken Dancing!**

**EPOV**

When I saw my sister's name on the caller ID I knew something was up so when she pleaded with me to agree go to this club with her I first wanted to give her a firm '_no_'. But then she went and said Bella had agreed to the plan and made me say '_yes_' as well. Because, no matter how much I hated going to such places, I wanted to make Bella smile even more and if she wanted to go someplace I would always let her. _Yeah, and this has absolutely nothing to do with your desire to see Bella in the sexy attire she wore the first night, right?_ Oh, who was I kidding! I had been dying to see Bella in that black dress again.

Alice was supposed to get to our place when Bella and I got off of our shifts so I wanted to get out of the hospital immediately. However, as was my luck, just a half an hour before the bell chimed, I was paged to the ER. There was a little girl who was in a bicycle accident and hit her head. The parents looked so lost that I couldn't tell them to consult another neurologist because I was about to go off duty. I decided to stay back until Dr. Wood showed up for work and then join Bella and the others.

I excused myself and paged Bella to meet me in my office. When she came in I asked her, "Hey, Alice called you?" When she gave me a small smile and replied in the affirmative I continued, "Bella, listen, an emergency case just came in and was referred to me. And I can't leave it with a resident here. Your shift ends in twenty minutes. So why don't you go ahead and go home? I'm sure Alice will need about a _year_ to get ready."

She rolled her eyes at the last bit and then asked anxiously, "You sure? I could stay if you need me."

I shook my head and replied, "No. We're fine here. Besides Mr. Yorkie, the pharmacist in Cardio, owes you a favor. So, if I need any help I'll just call him. You go ahead and I'll join you after James gets here. Then we'll all go to the club together." She was silent for a few minutes before giving in with a soft '_okay_'.

Just as she was getting out of the door she stopped to look at me and said, "Edward, I wanted to know something." I just looked at her curiously wondering what it was when she asked, "Do you want to keep our _situation_ to ourselves for now... or…?"

_Okay, I wasn't expecting that… at all. Think Cullen, what should you do._ After opening and closing my mouth for a few minutes I decided to be honest with her before asking for her opinion, "I checked the rule book and there's no anti-fraternization policy in the hospital. Besides, Cheney and Nurse Angela are married and work in the same department. We should be fine. Do you want to tell everyone?"

Bella looked down at her feet before saying in a soft voice, "Can we see where this goes first? I mean we are married but we are not exactly a couple and it's all very… confusing. I just… I think we should keep it to us for now. If it works… if _we_ work, then we can tell our supervisors about it." She snuck a look at me and asked timidly, "Do you think that's a bad idea?"

I thought for a moment what I should say, _"Yeah, it's a horrible idea. I want every fucker in this hospital to know about us._" But I also got where she was coming from. So I shook my head and said, "No, Bella. Take your time. I am not going to push you. _When_ it seems like the right time, we'll let everyone know. Alright?"

She nodded and reached for the door again.

I bade her goodbye before diving back into work.

**BPOV**

After my shift was over, I went up to Jazz and asked him if he would join us in the club. I might have dropped Alice's name which of course worked like magic. He said he'd be there and that he'd bring my husband with him.

I waved Rose a goodbye before getting into my truck. The moment I got off the elevator, it felt strange- to be there without Edward waiting by the door.

Suddenly I was hit with a speck of pink and looked down to see Alice hugging me. I laughed at her and invited her inside. After we had time to freshen up Alice and I met in the hallway and she started talking, "Bella we have to move really fast. It's already 6.30 and I told Rosalie that we'd meet her at 7.30 in the club. Ed just called to let me know he'll be a bit late. So you pick out a dress from your closet and meet me in my bathroom within ten minutes. Chop! Chop!" with her rant over she went into her room and started rifling through her closet.

I slowly walked up to my closet and sifted through the new dresses Alice stocked there for me. First I chose a modest cocktail dress but then a thought crossed my mind._ I wonder how Edward would react if I dressed in something a bit more… revealing_. So I searched through the closet for something appropriate and came out with a blood red dress with one long sleeve and that stopped about a quarter before my thigh gave way to my knees. _Perfect!_

I took the dress to Alice and she seemed to approve of it as well. By seven, I had my dress on, my hair curled at the ends and looking like an organized mess and a pair of red-killer-heels on my feet.

I wanted to keep my makeup understated- meaning no makeup at all; but Alice forced me to allow her to apply cherry red lipstick and golden eye-shadows with my usual mascara. Actually she didn't have to force me- rather had to say one thing in my ear, "He'll love it, Bella." And I, being the idiot for _him_, let her doll me up.

I helped Alice with her hair and makeup and then she went to put in her candy-floss pink dress while I went back to my room. Soon however, it turned out that I spent all those time of being poked in the eyes for nothing- because at about 7.15 p.m. my phone chimed with a text alert.

_Hey, it's a bit crazy in here. Wood is on duty but I'm gonna be another half an hour. I already called Em, he'll take you and Alice to the club. After I am finished here, I'll come straight to the club with Hale. I'll see you then. ~~~ Edward ~~~_

I got the fact that he was feeling responsible for his patient but it was still frustrating to dress up for him only to be told he'd be late. I mean, Dr. Wood was the resident on duty and he was there so why did Edward have to take do overtime? _Is he avoiding me or something?_ I immediately banished the thought. _We were peacefully co-existing. So there was no need to avoid me, was there?_

The moment the words '_Peacefully co-existing_' crossed my mind, I wanted to throw something at him- _maybe a punch_- but since I couldn't get my hands on him at that moment I decided to give him the silent treatment and didn't reply to him. Instead I went to Alice and told her about her brother's busy schedule. She gave me an apologetic smile before dragging me out of the door.

When we knocked on Emmett's door he came out with a dimpled smile and offered both of us his arms saying, "Must be my lucky day- I get to escort two beautiful ladies for the evening." His goofiness lightened the mood and made us smile. Soon we all had hopped into his jeep and set off for the club.

It was about 7.40 p.m. when we arrived to the club- Sea Surfer- and immediately noticed Rosalie by the parking lot. She was difficult to miss in her trusty little black dress and black five inch heels making her stand tall… well, taller than her already tall figure.

She walked up to greet us and I saw Emmett looking at her slack-jawed. I walked beside him while walking inside and whispered, "Big Brother, you may need to close your mouth. Who knows if you catch mosquitoes inside?" He snapped his mouth close and gave me a sheepish smile.

We waited for about five minutes before Emmett went to get us a pitcher of beer. I didn't normally like beer but I decided what the heck and joined in.

**-OTC-**

**8.00 p.m.**

We had been in the club for over twenty minutes. I turned to look at my friends and saw that Rose and Emmett were already sitting quite close to each other, talking and drinking as if in their own world.

I turned to my left side and saw that Alice was talking to someone- who I suspected was Esme- by the way Alice was talking to her. I decided since I would be waiting for Jazz and _Edward_ to show up I may as well turn to my own poison.

So, I went up to the bar and ordered a Gin-and-Tonic from the bartender, Siobhan. Things are about to get wild!_ 'Yeah, right!_' enter heavy sarcasm.

**-OTC-**

**8.30 p.m.**

I was on my… fourth… no, fifth… yeah, fifth drink. Siobhan could mix a killer drink. I told her that and she snickered before telling me to go to my friends before I threw up my guts.

_Now, throwing up one's guts… that sounded weird. Is it actually possible in medical science? I have to check it with the gastro resident tomorrow._ Oh, wait, I just remembered something. I didn't have to go to work tomorrow at all. So, I should have a drink on that!

Suddenly the drink was snatched up from my hand and Rosalie Hale came into view, "Swan, are trying to get alcohol poisoning? Why are you drinking so much? Cut this shit out and come, dance with us."

I waved her off with my hand and reached for the drink, "Shut your pie-hole, Hale. Ha ha that sounds funny! I need to keep myself occupied while you get a ride on the muscle. Go get him, girl!" I swat at her ass.

She scowled at me, "Fine. Don't listen to me. But when you start puking I am not gonna hold your hair."

I giggled at her, "Ow, Rosie, don't be like that. It's in the best friend agreement; you have to hold my hair when I am puking." She gave me a scathing look and in return I offered her an angelic smile, "How about I make Edward hold it instead? We cool?"

She sighed, "We're always cool, B. Just don't overindulge." She orders Siobhan to get me a glass of water, makes me drink it before finally leaving me to my peace. I looked at her walking back towards Emmett before looking at the time in my phone.

We had been there for almost an hour and my dear husband was still a no show. I was _such_ a lucky girl! I was a sarcastic bitch when I had alcohol in my system.

**8.45 p.m.**

I had never been drunk before in my life but right then I felt like I could be well on my way to be there. My head was buzzing, there were a million butterflies doing disco in my stomach and I kept giggling to anything Siobhan said.

Suddenly I felt a gentle hand on my wrist, stopping me from lifting my glass to my lips. I turned to look at a very scared Alice. "Oh, God! Bella, how much have you had to drink? Shit! I am so sorry. I was talking to mom about my ideas for opening a shop here and I completely ignored you. Please forgive me, Bella." She was so tiny and pitiful!

I patted her cheeks and then said, "Hey, Allie, chill. It's ok. I made a new friend- Siobhan. Say _hi _to her. What you did was not ignorance. You wanna know who's ignoring me? It's your brother, Allie. He doesn't want me, he doesn't kiss me and he even didn't want to hangout with me. That's why he's not here. He said he'd be here half an hour ago but he hasn't come. Why does he do shit like this, Allie?"

Alice looked apologetically over at Siobhan before taking my hand and dragging me back to our now empty table. It seemed Rose and Emmett had headed off to the dance floor. Alice shushed me when I started giggling thinking about Rosalie finally getting the Muscle and handed me a glass of water to drink._ She was so damn bossy!_

**9.00 p.m.**

I was sipping the water in my hand and listening to Alice blathering to someone in her phone. Suddenly she snapped her phone shut and jumped up saying, "Finally, they're here!" and started waving her hands like a drowning idiot.

I giggled at her stupid hand waving but then suddenly stopped. Because standing before me was the most beautiful man I had ever laid eyes on- wearing dark green button-down shirt and dark jeans, my husband looked utterly sexy. _Hmm… maybe he'll let me lick his jaw._

**EPOV**

_Fucking incompetent piece of shit!_ I kept thinking of ways to strangle James Wood while driving to the club. I knew my father would be upset if I killed someone but I wasn't sure James even was a _human _someone. The guy was three years senior to me but still seemed to have no fucking idea about what he was doing. _I mean really, how dense could you get?_ Because of his incompetent ass the procedure that was supposed to take twenty minutes took us well-over an hour.

If the patient's parents hadn't asked me to stay with them I would already be with Bella. _Oh God! Bella!_ I should have called her and explained why I was getting late but by the time we were done, I could hardly wait to get to Bella.

And now I was driving with Hale, an hour and half late- to the club. I did want to hate Hale for showing interest in my little sister but he was a better doctor than fucking James- most of the times at least. So maybe I would just despise him for liking my sister. And who knows, he might actually calm the squirt down a little.

About half way there, I got a call from Alice and handed Jasper my phone to answer since I was driving. By the sound of it Bella had gotten a little tipsy. The thought of my tipsy wife looking delectable and sitting in a bar surrounded by heathens made me drive faster.

**-OTC-**

As soon as I parked my car I was out of it and bounding inside. I was preparing a huge lecture to give to Alice about her lack of responsibility for dragging Bella here and not seeing how much she was drinking. But the moment my eyes landed on Bella my brain stopped working.

Because I was wrong- Bella didn't look delectable. She looked ravishing. She had on a blood red dress that seemed like it had been painted on- making her curves look simply enticing. I don't know if I walked or fucking floated like those ridiculous cartoon characters towards the sexy lady.

When I was standing right before her and she looked up at me- I felt the stirrings of desire bubble in the pit of my stomach. Never before had any woman made me feel things that she did. But then again never before had I seen someone's eyes look like stormy chocolate pools.

I don't know how long I had been staring in her eyes but when I felt Jasper nudge me I closed my eyes trying to control myself before turning around to accept the beer he was holding.

Bella's voice suddenly infiltrated my still lust-filled haze as she said, "Jazz, don't. Edward likes Gin-and-Tonic not beer. You don't know him at all, dude!"

Jasper gave her a wink before replying, "Chill, sis, _your_ Edward is a big boy. He'll get whatever drink he wants _and_ a tall drink of water for you."

Bella made a face and said, "Ugh! What is wrong with you guys? Why are you all pushing me to drink water? It'll make me wanna pee. I want a Gin-and-Tonic as well." I shook my head at her before slamming my empty bottle down on the table- I didn't even realize I had finished the fucker while ogling my wife.

Then I held my hand out to her and asked, "Bella, would you like to dance?" My intention was to get her worked up so that her blood circulation will increase making the metabolism of her consumed alcohol quicker.

However, all my planning went out of the window. Because the moment her hand touched mine I could feel the electric feel spreading through my body. When I led her to the dance floor she immediately threw her arms around my neck and I had to hold on to her hips to prevent myself from falling down on her.

I remembered how she was so tentative in her movements while we had danced in our wedding reception. But now she seemed like a master of dancing. Drunken Bella could dance! She stumbled a bit on her heels but never seemed to care about it. She simply buried her face in my chest.

I burrowed my face in her hair and inhaled. _Big mistake there, Cullen!_ She smelled of her usual strawberry and Bella smell mixed with slight smell of alcohol- making me feel drunk on her. Then she lifted her face from my chest and looked at me longingly and my control finally snapped.

I leaned down and kissed her softly. Then she suddenly fisted one hand in my shirt and tugged on my hair with the other bringing out the caveman in me. I abandoned all attempt of being sweet and soft and attacked her mouth with a hunger that surprised even me.

She made me forget the fact that hundreds of strangers were looking at me making out with my wife and that my little sister was one of the said spectators. Nothing could have infiltrated my mind at that point- nothing except her.

She had turned around in my arms and was grinding her ass against my crotch. I felt myself harden. Before I could move my hips to avoid poking her with my dick, she let out a moan. Hearing her moan made me slow down. Because as much as I wanted her right then; I was not going to embarrass her in public.

I took her face in my hands and whispered or rather panted, in her ear, "You wanna go home, Baby?" she breathed a soft _yes_ and that was all I needed to hear. I quickly led us off the dance floor- barely registering the fact that my cousin and Rosalie Hale was grinding against each other in such a way that a few more minutes and they might be thrown out of the club.

I went up to Alice and said, "Allie, I'm taking Bella home. Do you wanna come along?"

She looked at Jasper before replying, "Why don't you two go? I'll have Jasper drop me off. It looked like you two needed some privacy."

I let her comment slide and turned to Jasper while still keeping a firm grip on Bella's waist, "Hale, make sure she gets home okay. If anything happens it's on your head."

Jasper nodded before saying, "The same goes for you too, Cullen."

I scoffed and was about to chew his head off just for the heck of it but Bella interrupted me, "God! Seriously, guys? I smell like a fucking distillery and you want to have a fucking macho showdown?"

She was right. Now was neither the place nor the time. Besides, hearing her curse didn't have a positive impact on my pants and so I quickly settled all our tabs before leading her out to my car.

**-OTC-**

The drive back home was… in a word- amusing. Drunken Bella was a really funny Bella. She kept humming- out of tune- to any and all songs coming on the radio. One time we passed a police patrol car and she started making the siren-like noise making me laugh harder.

When we got home I held her door open for her but she shook her head vehemently and said, "Nope. No way am I getting out of this fancy thing. We haven't made out in your back seat yet… that's how the high school girls end a date, right?"

I saw Demitri, the security guard, silently laughing at us. I decided to help Bella out. So I just leaned down and scooped Bella up in my arms before going to the elevators. I motioned Demitri to come and help me out and he followed us- amusement clear on her face.

The elevator started going up and I then realized that drunken Bella was one more thing- she was a _Horny Bella_. First she tightened her arms around my neck and then suddenly nuzzled my chest.

And then she said in what could have only been the sexiest voice ever, "E, you are so… strong and muscled. I don't know what Rose sees in Emmett. He's just muscles and nothing else. But you- you mister, are _sex-on-legs_. No, scratch that- you're so… pretty." Now don't get me wrong, I'm sure being called sex-on-legs and even _pretty_ was a compliment coming from your wife- but not in the presence of the blatantly laughing security guard.

Thankfully before Bella could say anything else we arrived at our home and Demitri opened the lock and left but not before snickering at me while saying, "You have a _very good_ night, Sir… Ma'am."

Before I could get her inside Bella waved at him saying, "Thank you! We will!" I wanted the ground to open up and swallow me whole because of mortification.

Now the logical thing to do would have been me walking up the stairs and putting Bella to bed and then taking a cold shower to shut my traitor dick up. But since I was an idiot and had a glutton for punishment, I sat Bella down on the living room couch before going to the kitchen and getting her a glass of water. I put the glass on the coffee table before her and sat down beside her determined to coax her into drinking the water. However the next instant she did something that made me forget my own name.

Bella suddenly threw her legs around my hips and was straddling me before I could register that she had even moved. I started, "Umm… Bella, what are you doing?"

She grinded herself on my thighs and breathed in my ear, "What does it look like I am doing, Edward? I'm just trying to get comfortable before drinking the water." Hearing her breathy voice coupled with the heat I felt radiating off of her on my thigh made me groan and my soldier was getting ready to pierce my jeans to get to Bella.

Using some of the still functioning brain cells I had, I stammered, "B-Bella, we… ohh… we shouldn't…" the rest of my reasoning was drowned when Bella slammed her lips on mine and started kissing me like it was our last minute on earth. Then she let out a moan and my hands travelled from her hips to her ass- almost. Just as the thought of me holding _Bella's ass_ crossed my mind I removed my lips from hers. I had to put a restraining hand on Bella's arm to stop her from mauling me again.

Bella looked astonished at my behavior and frankly my head was too- the lower one. In fact I could almost hear my dick mourn at the lost opportunity, "_Cullen, you fucking piece of chicken-shit! We were so close to the promised land. Why, oh why, did you stop her? If you get blue balls it's entirely your fault!_"

Before I could get lost in my other head's ramblings, Bella put her hand on my chest and leaned in to whisper in my ear, "Edward, I want you. Please. You're _so pretty _I can't control myself."

The fact that she had called me _pretty _again- made me realize just how drunk she was. I wanted both of us to enjoy and remember our first time. And I'll be damned if I let a drunken night of sex ruin it for us. So I tried to reason with her, "Bella, baby, you're drunk. I don't want to feel like I am taking advantage of you. Please, try to understand." My objective was to calm her down but the exact opposite happened.

Bella suddenly broke free of our embrace and scrambled off of my lap and then started yelling, "Oh, I understand alright, Cullen. I understand that you don't want me. That everyone lied to me and you _are_ gay! That's the only solution. I dressed up for you… I put on fucking make-up for you… I let Alice put me in shoes that would have made me break my neck- because of you. And what did you do? You come to the club over an hour late… you don't even look at me properly… you ask me to dance and then decide to walk away mid-song… and then when I practically throw myself at you, you don't have the courage to take me to your bed! Well, I have news for you, mister, from now on we're nothing but platonic. Shove your_ peaceful co-existing _up your ass!"

I opened my mouth to say something but nothing came out. Bella let out a sob before running up the stairs. A few seconds later I heard the slamming of her door. _Oh fuck! What do I do now?_

**A/N: Alright, so let me have it. Good? Bad? Let me know and review! :)**

**On another note, I have to sit for a written test followed by a viva exam for admission to Graduate Programme. Which mean I gotta study… about 4years worth of scraps of papers. So no Tuesday update next week. Hopefully the dirty dancing will help you survive till next Friday! ;-)**

**Wish me luck for my tests.**

**Take care.**

**Ann**


	21. Chapter 21: Back to Square One

**Disclaimer: No copyrights infringement intended. I don't own Twilight saga or any of its awesome characters.**

**A/N: SURPRISE UPDATE! My exam got postponed so I put on thinking cap on and got this chapter out for you guys. **

**Thanks to everyone who has reviewed, favorited, put on alert or simply... read OTC. You guys make my days a little bit brighter. Thank you.**

**Enjoy Chapter-21 and I'll see you at the end of this chapter! :-)**

**Chapter-21: Back to Square One**

**AlicePOV**

About half an hour after Edward and Bella left us, I started to feel uneasy. It's not that I was uncomfortable with Jasper- the exact opposite actually; we simply clicked- no, it was more of a feeling of being sort of edgy. I knew I had failed my brother. Even if he didn't say anything to me I felt his annoyance with me. He had trusted me to be responsible and I let Bella get tipsy. After all I was the one who told Bella it'll be a night of fun.

I knew I had to make this right. My brother had always been there for me- for our family. So, I needed to help him take care of his Bella. He might not have figured it out yet but he was falling for her- _if he hadn't fallen already_, I mentally corrected.

I looked at Jasper. My whole plan for coming out to Seattle was to meet him besides looking at the place for my shop. But I couldn't be selfish and needed to go to my brother's home to help him out.

"Jasper, listen, please don't think that I don't want to hang out with you. I have to go. Bella was in a really bad shape when they left and I think Edward might need my help with her." I looked sadly at him while rambling on.

Jasper gave me slight nod of his head before saying, "It's okay, Alice. I am getting worried about Bella too. In all the years I've known her- she has never been drunk before. Do you know what that was about?" Our quiet conversation was interrupted by Emmett and Rosalie joining us.

"It's because Edward's a chicken shit. He's scared to even touch his wife. I mean, c'mon man, I see Bella as my kid sister but she has some sexual needs too… OW!" Em's rant was stopped by Rosalie clocking him on the back of his head.

She then winked at him before turning to me, "Alice, I'm sure your brother is a great guy… or at least an acceptable one. But he has been giving Bella pains at work. So, if he doesn't get his act together I'm gonna skin him alive and then sprinkle fucking salt all over him. And then I'm gonna make shoes with his skin and present them to Bell as a present. Am I clear?"

I gulped and said with forced calm, "Rosalie, relax. Edward likes Bella. A blind person can see that. And I hear both of you. But we have to keep one thing in mind- those two didn't even get a chance to meet before being thrown together in this way. So I say we let them figure it all out by themselves. They deserve to fall in love because of their own free will. Our parents have done enough meddling as it is." When they all nodded at my words I turned to Jasper, "Now, gentleman, are you gonna drive me home or not?"

He smiled and tipped an imaginary hat to me, "It'll be my pleasure, Ma'am." After a hurried goodbye to Emmett and Rose and getting the vibe that they were gonna go home together, Jasper and I got out of the club. We took Rosalie's car seeing that Em was going to drive her home.

When we were about ten minutes away from Edward's place my phone lit up with an incoming text message.

_Where are you, Alice? I need your help, Sis. ~~~ Edward ~~~_

I urged Jasper to drive faster and replied to by brother.

_Almost there, Bro. Will be there in 10 minutes. ~~~ Allie ~~~_

**-OTC-**

I quickly smacked a kiss on Jasper's cheek before jumping out of the car the minute the car stopped. I was about to ring the door bell when suddenly the door swung open and my brother was there looking scared out of his mind.

I quickly hugged him and apologized, "Ed, I'm so sorry. I got so distracted while talking to mom on the phone that I didn't notice Bella was up at the bar. Please forgive me?" He nodded stiffly.

Then he took hold of my arm and pulled me through the door before closing it. He finally opened his mouth and the words he uttered were the last thing I was hoping for, "Bella hates me. She thinks I'm rejecting her, Allie. I'm out of my depth here." I was hoping for _I love Bella, or Thank you for finding Bella for me, or I am furious with you, Alice… even Bella and I just had sex_; but not those words.

I looked at him as if he had grown two heads and asked, "Ed, what are you talking about? She was kissing you in front of the whole club and you think she hates you? Why would you think that?"

He shook his head before saying, "I messed up. Can you just go to her room and check on her? Please? I don't know if she wants to see me right now." _I could do that._

So I ran up the stairs to Bella's room and knocked on the door. When no answer came I tried the door knob and found it unlocked. I peeked inside and saw Bella was lying face down on the bed and seemingly fast asleep.

I tiptoed inside the room and closed the door softly behind me. When I looked at Bella's face I could feel my heart break for her. She had a sad frown on her face, tear tracks were running down her cheeks and she was curled up into a tight ball.

I shook her shoulder and called softly, "Bella? Get up. You need to change or you'll be really uncomfortable all night."

She mumbled something which sounded like, "… doesn't want me… gay idiot… fucking Mase… stupid hot fucker…" I couldn't make head or tail of it. So I gave up trying to understand her and went to work.

I took off her heels and then brought makeup wipes from my purse and removed her makeup. After that I went into her closet and found a light pink camisole and carefully changed her dress so as not to wake her up. After she had been changed and cleaned, I went out of the room to the hallway where Edward was pacing like crazy.

"Hey, Ed, she'll be fine. Don't worry." He thanked me profusely and then asked me if he could go inside. I nodded and let him pass me. _She is his wife but he's so hesitant with her. How have I not seen this before? Maybe we were wrong to push them down the aisle so fast._

He went inside and crouched down next to the bed. He set down a bottle of water and what looked like Paracetamol tablets on her bedside table. Then he ran his hand through her hair and said softly, "Bella, I can't tell you how sorry I am. I wanted to enjoy my night with you. I really did. I'm sorry it turned out like this. Just so you know… I'm not gay and so… platonic isn't good enough. Goodnight, baby."

I didn't understand a word of what he said but when he leaned down to kiss her temple I had to turn around because the seemingly innocent gesture was too intimate to be looked in on.

After saying a quiet goodnight to me Edward went into his room and I was left wondering, "_He's _so _in love with her. I have never seen my brother behave like this. And Bella… the girl must be going through such emotional turmoil… getting married to a stranger in a week's notice has had such an impact on her. But the way she was with Ed at the club… I'm sure she's falling for him as well. I wonder how long will it take for them to accept their feelings!_"

**BPOV**

_"__Ugh! Who the fuck is drilling on my skull?_" was my first thought when I woke up the next day. I looked around me… I was in my bed, wearing a- camisole? _Wait, that's not right. I wear t-shirts to bed not camisoles! Who the fuck changed my dress last night?_

As I was raking my brain for the answer the previous evening came into my mind like a tsunami. Alice was here… we dressed up and went to a club… Alice talking on the phone… Em and Rosalie trying to get arrested for indecent exposure… a bar… ranting to the bartender… Gin-and-Tonic… Edward looking fuck-hot… dancing with Edward… kissing on the dance floor… Edward carrying me up the elevator... something about _platonic_?

_"__Oh no! Oh fuck no! GOD! I had thrown myself with a wanton slut at him. And he… he rejected me. What the fuck? Why the fuck would he reject me?_" my initial mortification at the thought of throwing myself at Edward gave way to anger.

I knew for a fact that I looked good last night. I might have been drunk but I still didn't fail to notice how guys were checking me out. But I was too busy to wait for the stupid fucker. "_Well it all ends now. I won't give him a second glance from now on._" I nodded with conviction at my new plan- which was a mistake because suddenly the drilling noise in my skull went up a notch and a throbbing inside my head made me feel like _Woody-fucking-Woodpecker_ was nestling in there.

I looked around me helplessly before noticing a bottle of water and two Acetaminophen tablets sitting on my bedside table. _Alice must've left them here when she changed my dress. I'll have to thank her when I see her_. I quickly took the tablets and then seeing that it was after one in the afternoon decided to wash up.

After a hot shower I was feeling like a human again and decided to face the day head on. I went down the stairs and saw Alice sitting on the dining table with a glass of apple juice and sandwich in front of her. When she noticed me she smiled brightly and chirped, "Good morning, sleepy head. I have food for you. Come on down."

I winced at her high pitched tittering and begged, "Please Alice, I feel better but not yet recovered from my hangover. So you mind keeping your voice down a bit?"

She looked guilty and apologized in a much softer tone. I looked around surreptitiously for any sign of him. Alice caught the action and said, "Edward went to Emmett's place for the evening. They're having a boys' day of sorts with Jasper. I called Rosalie a few minutes ago and she's on her way here to help you with your hangover."

I smiled gratefully at the fact that we had the place to ourselves and my best friend was on her way. Don't get me wrong- I loved Alice like a sister but Rose was my soul-sister and I needed her to help me sort out my emotions.

I was devouring the sandwich while listening to Alice's day's work. It looked like she had found a perfect spot for opening her own designer boutique. She wanted to use her fashion designing degree for being close to her brothers and jump starting her career. I was happy to hear I would have Alice so close within a month. She was looking for a place to stay and when I told her that Rose and Jazz was one roommate short she actually shrieked with happiness- making me regret saying something. _I value my hearing quite dearly, you see._

Just as I finished clearing up the remnants of my lunch the doorbell rang and Alice opened the door to reveal Rose standing with tubs of Ben & Jerry's in her hands. _Gotta love that girl!_

I wanted to sit down with the girls and drown my sorrows in ice cream but I had laundry to do. This was my only free day in the whole week. After I told them to take a seat while I load the washing machine they followed me in the laundry room and in no time we were separating whites from colors and dowsing them in detergent.

Just for an instant a thought occurred to me that maybe I should have checked whether Edward had dirty laundry in the hamper as well. However I dismissed the thought right away because- _if he got those fucking clothes dirty then he should be the fucker who washed them- not that I was mad at him or anything!_

While the machine twirled and tumbled we sat down on the floor and started going through the life-saving drugs… which in our case happened to be ice cream! I decided to ask Alice the question that had been nagging me since waking up, "Hey Allie, did you… uh… were you… who… uhh… did you change my clothes last night?"

Alice looked at my mortified expression before giggling, "Of course silly. What did you think? That Ed changed your clothes? Bella, I already told you my brother maybe an idiot but he's a gentleman."

I grimaced internally, "_Yeah… _too _much of a gentleman._" Rose looked at my expression and asked boldly, "So, Swan, spill the beans… what happened when you got back home last night?" _Ugh the same question again… really?_

I gave her the same mumbled answer like the last time, "_Nothing_ happened, Rosalie."

Rose bluntly rebuffed my answer with her classic come back, "Bull shit, Bella. The way you guys were kissing last night, I won't be surprised if you had crawled inside him then and there." I did what I always do when pressurized… I blushed and then… spilled my guts… in front of his sister! _I should really grow a backbone soon!_

They both listened to me… Rose with a look of horror which by the end turned into once of fierce protectiveness and Alice with a curious look which turned into a frown by the end of my sorry saga.

Rose broke the silence first. She turned to look at Alice and said with a steely voice, "Look here, _short-round_, I don't care who the fuck Edward thinks he is but if he treats my best friend like shit anymore… I'm gonna make that shoe… "

Alice returned her glare head on and replied, "Okay, first, DO NOT call me _short-round_… or I'll call you _Hydrogen Balloon_… for air head. And second, you may not need to make that shoe… because I have wanted to have a sister for so long and I am NOT going to let his stupid sense of virtue scare her away. If he hurts her then… I will volunteer to help you with the peeling."

I looked from one to the other in confusion before saying, "Um… guys… you do realize that I am sitting _right here_, don't you? Besides I didn't get head or tail of whatever you are talking about. Can you please rewind further back?"

Rosalie huffed before saying, "It's nothing, B. Chill… I have a plan to make you look so irresistible to dick-head… aka Edward… that he'll beg you for a piece of your ass."

I blushed at the open innuendo and then in a determined voice replied, "No, Rose. I've already decided… we're gonna be platonic. Nothing more than flat mates… we'll meet in the passing, at work and that is it. My ass or any fragment of it is not so cheap that it will need grooming for Mr. Ediot!" They both broke into laughter at my naming genius and we spent rest of the evening in a very pleasant manner.

It was about four when Alice left the house to go say her goodbyes to her brothers before leaving. She hugged me tightly and whispered in my ear, "Bella, I do love you like my own sister already. Please forgive us- my parents and me- for pushing you and Edward to get married in such a hurry. Last night I realized you should've had the chance to make the choice yourself. But I also believe you are the best influence on my brother. I have never seen him so… caring towards anyone other than us. Just give this relationship a chance, please."

I felt the stupid tears prickling in my eyes and sniffled before replying, "I love you too, Allie. You're forgiven. Though it was more my parents than yours that pushed me but thank you for understanding me. I don't know who he is really, Alice. He's so… hot and cold all the time. I can't promise you that it will go somewhere… but I will say this- I can be very stubborn. Mr. Edward Cullen is yet to meet Bitchy Bella." When she giggled I remembered something and added, "Oh, and Alice, thank you for the medicines you left beside my bed. They literally saved my life!"

A sly smile crossed her face as Alice said, "You're welcome, Bella. Although, Edward was the one who put them there, not me. See ya." Before I could say anything else she closed the door behind her and was gone.

_What the fuck? Why would fucker extraordinaire get me medicines? Is that what Alice meant by him being… caring?_ My mind was reeling with all the questions. I was brought out from my reverie by Rose's sudden hug. She took my hand and led me towards the living room couch and then gave a shriek worthy of putting Alice to shame, "Oh my God! OH my God! OH MY GOD! Bella! I slept with the Muscles!"_ Wait, what…?_

When I looked dumbly at her she proceeded to tell my about her dancing with Emmett… his driving her to her place… his giving her the best O of her life… and the fact that he wanted to take her out on next weekend. She looked thoughtful before asking, "This isn't gonna be weird though, right? Me- dating your cousin-in-law?"

I shook my head before grinning at her, "No way, Dude. I can't tell you how happy I am to hear you say the words _me_ and _dating_ in the same sentence. Usually it's just _me_ and _fucking_." Rose looked down and seemed to be- shy? _Whoa! A first for Rosalie Hale after graduating high school!_

She softly replied, "He's… _it _feels different with him, Bell. It feels like it could be _more_. But I must be out of my mind though, right? I mean I _just_ talked- really talked- to the guy first time last night!"

I took her hand before saying in a soothing manner, "No, Rose. You're not out of your mind. Maybe it is more than lust-at-first sight for you two. Maybe he's your fairytale love story. Take a chance, Rosie."

She sighed and smiled shyly. I really wasn't upset… or jealous. Okay, maybe a little jealous- not for the guy she had found but for the connection they seemed to have forged. I wanted that connection- and I wanted it with _Edward_…

**EPOV**

_Emmett was right. I was a chicken shit._ I had practically run away the moment I heard Em open his front door. I was confused. I was conflicted and I had absolutely no idea how to behave around Bella anymore.

I knew I wanted her- both my heads agreed in that notion. I wanted to know her… I wanted to be the guy she smiled shyly at… I wanted to be the man who made her laugh… I wanted to be the man whom she sought out when she needed support… I wanted to be the man she gave her heart… I wanted to be- _her_ man.

That's where my problem lied- I didn't just want her body… I wanted her heart as well. And if I had allowed what she wanted to happen last night I wouldn't have been able to discern between the two. I needed to take this slow- for both of us._ But how do I make her understand this?_

After spending the whole day doing practically nothing at Emmett's I figured I should go home. The moment I entered the house an aroma of food hit me making my stomach grumble.

Then I saw Bella was standing in the kitchen wearing an apron over her simple t-shirt and yoga pants and stirring a pot. I liked her look last night a lot- but this look… of simplicity yet elegance seemed so… Bella- that I couldn't help but love her in this outfit just the same.

Bella seemed to feel my gaze and looked up at me. She looked at me without a smile gracing her lips before saying, "I'm making Chicken Risotto. If you don't like it you can order take-out. But there's enough for everyone. Dinner will be ready in about ten minutes. I invited Emmett over for dinner." She said those words almost robotically. I didn't know how I should reply so I gave her a soft '_thanks_' before going up in my room to freshen up.

_It doesn't make any sense. She cooked dinner for me. But invited Em along… why? Is she trying to avoid me? Is it a tactic to not be alone with me?_ All these thought made me feel the need to go to the psych ward the next day for a quick psych analysis. Maybe she has been successful in driving me mad- finally?

The sound of the door bell and Bella's following shriek interrupted my self-psych analysis. I rushed down the stairs to see if Bella was okay, only to be hit by an insane amount of jealousy.

Because Emmett, my cousin, my brother- was being allowed to hug her and make her laugh while I was being treated like a fucking stranger. _She wanted you to touch her last night remember? But you being the ultimate stupid Romeo denied her and me, you shit head!_ My dick chastised me. _God! I must be going mad if my dick was being the thinking head of my body!_

Dinner in a word was- painful. The food was delicious of course- but the whole time Bella simply ignored me. She offered more food to Emmett, served him food and when she noticed my empty plate she just pushed the dish towards me. Emmett seemed to catch on the fact that she was deliberately ignoring me and kept snickering at me. _I wish I could throttle the fucker._

After Emmett had left I went to clean the kitchen trying to win some points in Bella's books. But she softly said a _goodnight_ before leaving me elbow deep in foam and dishwashing liquid. _Good fucking night, indeed!_

**-OTC-**

The next morning I woke up after a restless night of sleep and after taking a shower I went downstairs to find Bella already in the dining table having her breakfast. We exchanged mumbled good mornings before I sat down across her to eat my breakfast of lucky charms.

Bella got up after a few minutes and then brought me a hot steaming mug of… water. _What?!_ When I looked at her questioningly she smiled sweetly at me before explaining, "Since we're strictly flat-mates now so I figured I'll help you out by saving you the trouble of buying hot water. You do have your precious tea-bag stash right?"

_I had to fix this!_ I called her back before she could turn around and leave the kitchen, "Hey Bella, listen about Friday night…"

She stopped me before I could finish and said with that sweet smile on her face, "It's okay, Edward. I am completely over it. I was drunk and just felt careless. It's done now. It was nothing. Relax. I'm gonna go and get ready. I'll see you at the rounds." With that she left me gaping like a fucking troll.

_I meant nothing to her? Having or rather- trying to have sex with me was equivalent of carelessness to her? How can she be over it while I am still stewing in guilt?_ Hundreds of similar questions grilled me while I finished my food, cleaned the dishes and then left for work all in a daze.

The whole day of Sunday passed in flurry of work, receiving confusing glares from Rosalie whenever she caught my eyes and awkward silences between Bella and me. I couldn't understand what the hell was happening to my simple, straight-forward life!

On my way home I brought Thai food as a peace offering. However like I had hoped we didn't bond as before. We didn't argue about where to sit for dinner, we didn't watch _Friends _as part of what had seemed to have the potential of becoming our dinner ritual, and I didn't even get a hug goodnight.

Nope, what we did was eat our dinner in radio silence- at the dining table, sitting at opposite ends… with Emmett present to share the meal, cleaned up after ourselves, and I got a mumble of the affirmation of the fact that she was going to bed.

By the end of the disastrous weekend of awkwardness I longed to go back to the times where we were so close to rip each other's throats out. However I had so fucking idea that I had telepathic power to turn my longing into reality- so fucking fast!

**A/N: Okay, so this was mostly a redeeming chapter for Alice. It's how I planned to cool her off. Still hate her?**

**Let me know your thoughts about the chapter and review.**

**Take care.**

**Ann**


	22. Chapter 22: Eruption of Bella-vius

**Disclaimer: No copyrights infringement intended. I don't own Twilight saga or any of its awesome characters.**

**A/N: Thanks to everyone who has reviewed, favorited, put on alert or simply... read OTC. You guys make my days a little bit brighter. Thank you. Rudeward returns! ;-)**

**Enjoy Chapter-22 and I'll see you at the end of this chapter! :-)**

**Chapter-22: Eruption of Bella-vius**

**BPOV**

On Monday morning after the _platonic phase _started the day began in the similar awkward fashion of the preceding weekend. Edward and I had had our same breakfasts of milk and cereal. Then I had gone out of the house before Edward could come down the elevators with me. I knew I was running again but I was too much of a chicken shit to stop and face the consequences of the previous Friday night.

The first indication of any type of trouble arose after I had reached the hospital.

I was in the dressing room changing into my scrubs, when I heard giggles coming from the next door dressing room. It was for the nursing staff. I had decided to ignore the school-girl like giggles when the name 'Cullen' caught my attention. I quickly categorized all the Cullens in my head, "_Carlisle is in Forks General so these guys shouldn't be talking about him. Can it be Esme? I don't think so. Why would people in Seattle _giggle_ about my mother-in-law? Alice… oh please, no one here knows her. Emmett? Nope, not a chance… they don't know him either. That only leaves… oh hell no… those bitches can't be giggling about _Edward_, can they?_"

My inner monologue was interrupted when I recognized their voices- Jessica Stanley and Lauren Mallory- nurses on my team. Between the two, Jessica was the bitchier one. Though I had seen Lauren flirt shamelessly with everyone- _mostly male but a few unlucky females as well… Rose included_- but she seemed tamer than Jessica. Both of them worked with me in Edward's team. _Holy shit! They _were_ talking about Edward._ An instant rush of jealousy gripped me.

I changed my original plan and concentrated on their giggling about Cullen- _my_ Cullen to be precise. I could hear Lauren's nervous voice, "Are you sure, Jess? What if he says no? Then what are we supposed to do?"

Jessica's tittering voice replied, "God, Lauren, don't be such a cry baby. He'll have to take us both. Otherwise there'd be problems for Eddie-dearest." I could hear the snickers in their voices. The green monster of jealousy was roaring at the sound of their voices.

I wanted to storm into that room. I wanted to shout at them that the man they were planning against was _my husband_- emphasis on my. I wanted to yell that he didn't like that name- I had seen him grimace during Rose's speech at our reception. I wanted to claw their eyes out for daring to look at what was mine.

But the problem was he _wasn't_ mine- not in the real sense of the word at least. And no matter how much I wanted him, he seemed to think of me as invisible. _Otherwise my continued cold shoulders would've produced some reactions!_ So I did what I should have done- nothing. I simply felt unreasonable amount of hatred towards Mallory and Stanley for eyeing the man I was sharing a dwelling with and kept my mouth shut before going up to my assigned ward to begin the work day.

**EPOV**

I had just exited my office after changing into my scrubs for the morning round when I found my path blocked by the worst nurses in my entire working history- which included experiences in both the US and UK- Mallory and Stanley.

I pointedly looked at my watch before huffing in a seemingly busy manner, "What are you two doing here? Shouldn't you at the nurses' station?"

Jessica ignored my pretend busyness and tried to puff her already what looked like cosmetically enlarged breasts out before replying, "We're not going to sit on our asses all day at the station, Doctor. We want to be on the round- both of your rounds for today."

The appropriate answer to her demand would have been to say that if she sat on her ass long enough she could accumulate enough fat there and wouldn't need to have it surgically enlarged to match her silicone soccer balls- meaning breasts.

However, Esme Cullen didn't raise a brash son who would insult women in their work place. So I kept my opinion to myself and said instead, "What's the problem with the station? Someone needs to man it and besides, I have already decided to ask Nurses Angela and Newton to accompany me."

Jessica shook her head and replied, "Now that's not fair, is it, Dr. Cullen? In the days you have worked here we both had been able to go on one round, one day; whereas dear Angela had been allocated round-duty every day except for that one day. The same goes for Mike. So if you don't agree to allocate us in equal round-duties like those two we'll be forced to complain about favoritism against you. You wouldn't want to go through all that trouble now, would you?"

I was furious. _What the fuck does this shit mean?_ I chose Angela because she was a married woman and didn't keep trying to flirt with me or any males around her really and she was a damn good nurse. As for Newton, truth was I despised him for looking at Bella sometimes but he seemed a better choice than these two. Because even he had enough brain cells than these two combined- and that was saying something!

I sternly snapped at her, "Nurse Stanley, you cannot say stuff like that. I allocate my team members according to their competence. Angela and Newton seemed more competent at ward-duty than at station-duty, where you two excelled."

Mallory finally stepped in and almost looked pitiful when she said, "Dr. Cullen, Seattle Grace is a teaching hospital. If you think we're incompetent then shouldn't you try to improve our performances by giving us more ward-duties? It is said not to judge someone by first meeting, isn't it?" I wanted to shout that _whoever the fuck had said shit like that clearly hadn't had the bad fortune of working with you two air-heads!_

However, I acquiesced and decided to give them another try. But I also warned them that if they failed to show me that they had made any progress by the end of my shift, they'll be allotted to station-duty for as long as I saw fit. _And to me that time duration was the length of my employment in this hospital!_

**BPOV**

I was talking to Angela when Edward appeared for the round with bitchy twins- I meant to say nurses Stanley and Mallory at his heels. _What are they doing here?_ My Bella-sense started tingling. Because overhearing them talk and giggle about my husband and then seeing them enter the ward at his heels and what seemed like staring at his ass was highly suspicious indeed. However my suspicion turned into shock when Edward opened his mouth.

He called for Mike and Angela and said, "Okay, Newton and Angela, a slight change of plans. You two will work at the Nurses' Station today- for both rounds- morning and evening. Nurses Stanley and Mallory have expressed interest in learning to work better at the bedside. So they'll take the ward-duty today. Is that clear? Now, everyone follow me- we have patients to see, tests to do and lives to save."

I couldn't believe it. _Why on earth would he change the already prepared roaster? And for these two- air head bimbos? Something's wrong in this picture._ I kept repeating in my mind what I overheard those two bimbos say to figure out what was going on but came up empty. I saw Angela give Ben, her husband, a sad little smile before following Mike out to the Nurses' Station. I felt sad just looking at their exchange. _Those fake-boobed idiots had caused this sadness. But how…?_

We were into the round and the two _highly esteemed_ nurses were proving to be a test on everyone's patience. I had to keep repeating Edward's words slower or elaborating the abbreviated terms he used. _Fun times, right?_

After the morning round ended we all scattered at different directions to do our jobs.

A few hours into my shift, I saw Jasper and Ben pointing towards something. When I followed their field of vision I understood- _it wasn't something; it was someone._ Apparently our _too good to do their work_ nurses had decided to abandon their work and was huddled in a corner beside an empty bed and had commenced their giggle-fest.

Just as I was debating whether I should let go of my pride and just talk to Edward about them, Edward came inside the ward. He glanced around before noticing the idiots. Immediately his posture stiffened and he seemed to look around them as if looking for something. _Now you are toast! His mean jackass Rude-Adonis nature is about to come out! _The voice inside my head rejoiced. But then he did something that got him in my hit list as well.

Edward walked up to them and asked politely, "Where are the test results I ordered for beds 3 and 8? Are they here?" Jessica had the gall to push out her fake boobs almost into Edward's face before saying in an annoying voice, "Oh no, Dr. Cullen, they still haven't reached us yet." _Yeah bitch, maybe if you tried checking the station for results rather than ogling at a taken man you'll find them quicker!_

I was looking forward to Edward's outburst that should come at her laziness but he just backed up few paces, blinked at them and then said in a startled voice, "Alright, when you get them please give them to Miss Swan to go through before she brings them to me." And then he simply walked out without saying anything else to them- whereas a few days back he had almost skinned Newton for a similar stunt.

During lunch my mind was preoccupied with whatever the fuck was going on with Edward and the two witches; when Rose kicked my leg underneath the table.

"Ouch, Rose, what the fuck was that for?" my angry whisper seemed to fall on deaf ears as Rose looked on at something with an angry scowl on her face. I turned to see what she was looking at and felt my blood starting to boil… There not ten feet away from me was my husband… talking intently in whispers with Lauren Mallory. It seemed he had a lot to talk with her since he was grasping on her wrist to prevent her from escaping him.

_So…_ _was_ he_ the one that had wanted the roaster changed, not them? Was he interested in them? Were blonds and silicone boobs his thing? Is that why he pushed me away Friday night?_

My mind was reeling from all the questions that I barely registered Rosalie's question, "Bella, what the hell is going on? Is the son of a bitch having an affair… right before your eyes? Is that why he did what you said he did on Friday?"

I only managed to reproach Rose for her SOB comment, "Rose, Esme is a very nice person. Don't blame her for her son's deeds." She looked imploringly at me, hoping to hear my response to her questions. But I was asking the same questions myself as well.

Unable to take it much longer, I simply stood up intending to dump my salad at the nearest trash bin and excused myself from her. As I was walking towards the cafeteria door, I noticed Mallory coming towards the door with a sneer playing on her lips. Suddenly I had a brilliant plan for my barely-touched chicken salad with ranch dressing.

I slowed down my walk and when Mallory was passing me, I _seemingly_ tripped on air- _which I did involuntarily a lot anyway_- and dumped all my food on her. I turned to see how much damage I had done and was pleased to notice a huge white ranch dressing stain seeping in her uniform of navy blue scrubs… right across her fake boobs. _Yeah bitch, now go and stick them in people's faces._

I was thinking if I should apologize to her but at that moment Rose appeared at my side probably trying to see the extent of damage and snickered, "Why Mallory, you look like you got bird's poops on your bits. Maybe you should try keeping your bits _away_ from people's faces so that you won't accidentally wipe bird droppings on someone!"

I tried- I really tried- but my stupid impulse of laughing out at other people's awkward moments won. And I suddenly burst out in a full on laughter. Rose joined in with me and after I could get myself under control I managed to croak out a highly insincere '_sorry_' at Mallory and rushed out of the cafeteria.

**-OTC-**

I was in a considerably better mood after my job-well-done with Mallory when I was passing the Nurses' Station. Of course because the universe hates me it threw Mike-shithead-Newton in my path. He came holding two files in his hands and said, "Hey Swan, I'll give these reports to you if you promise to go out with me this Sunday. You in?"

I huffed with annoyance at his continued persistence and said, "Oh let me see… how to say this… _never_ in my life, Newton. Now hand me the reports; Dr. Cullen is waiting for them." He rolled his eyes- _well tried to roll his eyes but ended up crossing them_- and said, "That guy is an idiot. It would've been better to work in Marcus' team instead."

I so wanted to agree with Newton and say that Edward was an idiot; but no matter how much angry I was with him or how much of a jackass he was being, I couldn't bring myself to say that. So I frowned at Mike and murmured, "You're wrong, Newton. Dr. Cullen is a very good doctor."

Mike grimaced, "Yeah, all of the girls are head over heels for that idiot."

Our measurement of Edward's idiocy was interrupted by the nasal voice of Jessica Stanley, "If you two love birds are done with your mumbling I would like to take those results. Because Edward- I mean Dr. Cullen- asked me to bring them to him." I snapped my head to glare at her. _You asked for it, Bitch!_

"Nurse Stanley, in case you don't know, I kind of despise Newton here… in a molecular level- and he seems to have the hots for anything female in the twenty mile radius. So, don't ever associate me, him and love in the same sentence. Secondly, as far as I can remember, _Doctor Cullen_, had asked you to bring these reports to me and _I_ was supposed to take them to him. You really should work on your hearing." I finished my speech before snatching the files from Mike's hand and marching towards Edward's office. The bimbo had the audacity to call him by his first name! My previous bad mood had returned- with a vengeance- by the time I was knocking at his door.

**EPOV**

After I had returned from lunch I was in a good mood. I had managed to intercept Dr. Farrell when he was in the cafeteria and explained what those two nurses had tried to pull off. He gave me a pat on the back before saying that it was a teaching hospital, not a nurse's training institute. So if I had any problem with the nursing staff all I had to do was to file a complaint and he would try to replace the incompetent staff from my team. _Problem solved!_

He had then asked me if there was any problem with the pharmacist. I immediately told him that our misunderstanding had been cleared up and I was happy to have her on my team. He nodded his approval and said she was one of the best pharmacists the hospital had at the moment. I didn't doubt him for a second. Because Bella was one of the best pharmacists I had met as well- not only because she was my wife, but because she knew her shit and truly cared for the patients under her care.

I had seen Nurse Mallory walk in the cafeteria and excused myself from the Chief before going to gloat at her. She looked panicked at my advancement and tried to turn back at the door. I reached out and grasped her wrist to stop her from leaving and then said in a low menacing voice that if she valued her job at all she should be happy to do desk-job after the end of that day. Because I had talked to the chief and he had given me permission to have her and her friend replaced from my team.

She was perplexed at the thought and then revealed that it was all Jessica's plan. She was just playing along. I finally released her seeing her cracking and warned her that if she concentrated on her job instead of making friends then maybe I wouldn't have to have her replaced after all. But I could make no promises about her friend. She seemed happy to be safe and left the cafeteria.

I was planning on how to word my complaint against Jessica- _maybe say that she tried to blackmail me for work? Nope, that made me sound like I was afraid of girls_- when someone almost banged at my office door. I quickly stood up and open it to meet the furious glare of my wife.

"What the fuck are you playing at?" she snapped at me before pushing me aside and entering my office. I closed the door behind her and inconspicuously closed the blinds. Then I turned to face her wrath once more, "Answer me, damn it! You've been parading your league of bimbos and made me look like a pity party to Rosalie!"

I was taken aback at her accusations and asked, "Bella, what are you saying? Why would Rosalie pity you? You are better than her in every way."

Bella scratched her head in a thoughtful manner before snapping at me, "Oh, I don't know, Edward, maybe because her husband is not cheating on her?"

I'm sure my eyes were popping out of my head as I took in her words. Then I started to get angry as well, "What the hell are you saying? I didn't cheat on you. How can you even say stuff like that?" Apparently I had picked the wrong day to contradict her.

Because the next moment she erupted like Mount Vesuvius and all the shit she must have been thinking came pouring out of her, "Oh no, don't try to act all innocent with me. First, you pick those two fake-boobed idiots to be on ward duty making Angela- who has a very good bedside manner, by the way- sit in the sidelines. Then you don't even say anything to Stanley for not getting the tests results from the lab on time. Then you go to the cafeteria and hold Mallory's hand while whispering in her ear. How dumb do you think I am, huh? You are such an insolent jerk, Edward Cullen!"

I tried to calm her down and reached for her hand. But she took her hand back and then continued with her rant, "Don't touch me, you prick. Last Friday, I wanted you. I was ready to give _us _a shot. But you pushed me away and today you held on to Mallory with that hand. Don't even dare to cover the fact that you want them and not me. I have you figured out, Cullen. And my first impression of you was exactly right- you are an arrogant, selfish, rude, jackass. Here are the reports you asked for." She slammed the files she had in her hands on my desk before turning to leave.

I don't know what made me grasp her arms or turn her around to face me. I was on autopilot mode when I grabbed her by her arm and snapped, "No. you don't get to accuse me of anything without letting me tell my side of the story. You want me to feel guilty? Fine, I will feel guilty; but not for doing my job. If I am going to feel guilty about something, I want to feel guilty about doing this…" and then I brought her closer and slammed my lips on her surprised mouth.

**BPOV**

I had absolutely no idea how _that_ led to _this_. One minute I am raving like a lunatic spewing whatever the fuck came to my mind and the next I was being crushed to my husband's chest while he was kissing me roughly.

At first I tried to get him to release me and tugged on his hair with enough force to hurt. But that seemed to make him rougher as he groaned into my mouth. That sound went straight to the pit of my stomach making the thousand caterpillars that had been crawling in there since Saturday morning blossom into butterflies and flutter around inside. I gave up trying to push him off and instead linked my hands at the back of his neck. I entwined my fingers in his hair and tugged again- this time to bring him closer.

He seemed to like the tugging because he groaned again making me gasp. He entered his tongue inside my mouth and after a few tentative seconds I slowly swiped his tongue with mine. The taste of him- mint infused with something that was purely… Edward- made me moan into his mouth.

My indelicate moan brought him out of his funk and he let go of my arm, instead he ensnared one of his hands around my waist to hold me to him while his other hand rose up to cup my cheek. His kiss turned softer but not less deep. It felt like the first time he had kissed me with the addition of something I couldn't quite put my finger on.

We continued to kiss each other for a few more minutes before he slowed down the kiss and leaned his forehead on mine to look into my eyes. I stared right back at his eyes and whispered, "You don't need to feel guilty about _that_." _It looked like this man had again made me lose my brain-to-mouth filter!_ Edward smiled and seeing his smile this close made me realize once again just how handsome he was.

He continued to look into my eyes and softly stroked my cheek with his thumb as he whispered back, "Bella, I would never ever cheat on you. If you could see how much I want you you'd blush like a cherry tomato for at least a month- I promise you."

Hearing his words of course made me blush. He chuckled at me, "I always wondered how warm your cheeks got when you blushed- now I know."

I looked down, suddenly feeling shy and he nudged my chin to make me look back up into his eyes before continuing, "Bella, I had to give them another chance to show their competence before I could report to the Chief for replacements. When you saw me at the cafeteria, I was warning Lauren to watch her step before I filed a complaint against her and Jessica. And on Friday, I was late because I couldn't leave the little girl in here while she was still in surgery." I was stunned at his explanation. _How wrong I had been!_

I nodded at him feeling like a dumb-ass before whispering, "Okay. I'm sorry for accusing you like that and for being inconsiderate since Friday night. I am also sorry for giving you the silent treatment these past few days. You didn't deserve that. I am sorry for running away again. I should've given you a chance to tell your side of the story. I really am sorry. Are we going to be okay?"

He seemed to consider for a moment before saying, "You're forgiven and I am sorry for running away as well. However, I don't know if we're going to be okay. Because what we shared a few minutes ago, has promise of being more than _okay_." I smiled at him and was about to leave when he called me back, "Oh, and Bella, _platonic_ is not good enough for me."

I murmured, "It's not good enough for me either." And then I did something I never expected myself to do- I ran back to him and kissed his cheek before rushing out of his office with a grin stretching my face.

**A/N: I would just like to add again, that I don't know how the hospital system is in the US, but in my country, the nurses go to training institute before being allowed to join hospitals. And the thing about nurses' station actually happens here. All the nurses in a team are either allocated to ward duty or station duty- I just used that for the US.**

**About E/B, it's pretty much gonna go uphill from here… so I hope you enjoyed this chapter. ;-)**

**Let me know your thoughts and leave a review, please?**

**Take care.**

**Ann**


	23. Chapter 23: Tentative Friendships

**Disclaimer: No copyrights infringement intended. I don't own Twilight saga or any of its awesome characters.**

**A/N: Thanks to everyone who has reviewed, favorited, put on alert or simply... read OTC. You guys make my days a little bit brighter. Thank you.**

**Enjoy Chapter-23 and I'll see you at the end of this chapter! :-)**

**Chapter-23: Tentative Friendships**

**EPOV**

For the rest of my shift I couldn't- for the life of me- stop the frigging grin that threatened to split my face in two. The final icing on the cake for me was the conversation I had with Nurses Stanley and Mallory after the evening round.

I had called all four nurses in my office and clearly stated that because Stanley and Mallory had failed to show sufficient competence they would have to do station duty until further notice. When Jessica tried to speak I shut her up by saying that my decision was supported by the Chief. That got her to shut the fuck up and I left work with a skip in my step.

**-OTC-**

When I got home Bella was already there talking to Emmett standing in the hallway. Seeing me she gave me a shy smile before excusing herself and going inside the house. I laughed out loud at her sudden shyness when a few hours ago she had been clawing at me trying to get as close to me as possible.

I was brought out of my reverie by Emmett's obnoxious laughter, "Do I want to know what you have been doing with my little sister, mister?"

I smirked and instead of replying asked him, "I thought you wanted us to _seal the deal_?"

Emmett's eyes twinkled and he gave me a wide smile, "Hell yeah! My li'l bro is finally growing up, Man! I'm so freaking happy for you."

I tried to shush him, mortified at the thought of Bella overhearing us, "Cool it, Em. We didn't… _do the dirty_- so to speak. We sort of… uhhh… kissed?" my answer sounded like a question.

Em's eyebrows creased and he looked confused as hell, "What do you mean by _'sort of kiss'_? Either you kissed her or you didn't. It's not that hard to decide which is the correct answer, you idiot!"

His reproach made me grimace and I snapped at him, "Okay, fine. We kissed, and it was the best fucking kiss of my life. What I meant by '_sort of' _was that I am not comfortable discussing these things with my big brother. I feel like we're two giggling girls in middle school for fuck's sake!" I expected him to be taken aback from my reproach but the exact opposite happened.

Emmett patted my shoulder before saying, "Now you're on the right track, bro. you shouldn't let people walk all over you. I'm sorry I've been such a pain in the ass in the last few weeks but I was trying to make a point."

I narrowed my eyes at him and asked, "What point, Em? You just like pulling my leg."

He chuckled, "That I do, brother. But my point was to make you understand that you cannot let others dictate your life. It's your life; it's you who got married. So you should've been the one to approve of the girl you married, not Carlisle or Esme and definitely not Allie. You better thank your lucky stars that you got Bella out of the deal and not some dumb bimbo."

I was astonished at his wise words and murmured, "I do, Em. I thank my luck every time I look at her. I am a lucky bastard. But when did my goofy cousin become so wise?"

He let out a loud guffaw and said, "Hey, I've always been as wise as Socrates- _minus the usage of scraps of clothes as dresses_- but I'm still goofy as hell. Now get inside. Your bride must be awaiting you." With an exaggerated wink he shoved me inside the house before closing the door behind me. _And the goof is back!_

**-OTC-**

After I had showered and gotten dressed I descended the stairs to find Bella busy in the kitchen. I went to the refrigerator and took out two cans of sodas before heading to the living room. Our shoulders brushed against each other making her blush pink and I smirked- thinking about the feeling of her warm cheek in between my hands.

I set up our usual Friends DVD for dinner time figuring everything would be just like it had been before. However I was wrong.

Bella called for me to come and have dinner. I felt confusion and doubt coloring my thoughts as I got off the couch and went into the dining room. Bella cleared her throat before saying, "I was thinking we should have dinner here tonight. It seems we have some things to talk about."

I was dreading this part of our reconciliation. I knew the air needed to be cleared but I was not too comfortable talking to girls. I mean I definitely was not the guy who'd boldly march in between ladies and start up a conversation.

"_But it is not some lady; it is _your_ lady- your wife. And if anyone deserves your attention, it's her." _My subconscious told me. And for once I agreed. So I held out a chair for Bella and after she had blushed and sat down I took the seat opposite her.

We had a few bites of the delicious Chicken Parmesan Bella had prepared before I broke the silence, "What did you want to talk about?"

Bella took a drink of her soda before replying, "I think I have a few questions. Well… one question really that I need to know the answer to."

When I kept looking at her expectantly she bit her bottom lip before continuing, "Edward, earlier… in your office… after we- you know… you said that you… _liked _me- as something more than a platonic flat mate. I want to know then why you did what you did on Friday."

I smirked at her adorable phrasing and said, "I did not say that I _liked _you, Bella, from what I remember I said that I _wanted_ you." Bella blushed before looking down at her plate and then peeked at me. My cocky smirked made her look of shyness change into one of defiance.

She squared her shoulders before saying, "Okay, fine. I was trying to be less brash. Now tell me about Friday. Why did you stop me?"

I cleared my throat before starting, "Look Bella, I didn't lie to you. I do want you. I have wanted you from the moment you poured your drink on me that night."

She interrupted me quickly, "Hey, I did NOT pour my drink on you- it was more of a sprinkle…" her voice trailed off as a sly look came over her face. _No wonder she's remembering that night._

I shook my head at her before continuing, "Yeah, well whatever, the point is, we have been thrown into this marriage in a rather whirlwind. I like to believe if we had not been married, I would still have pursued you from that first encounter. I would have befriended you. I would have courted you. I would have asked you out on dates. We'd have had candle-light dinners and movie-dates. We would get to meet each other's families through us- not the other way around. And after we had been emotionally attached for some time I would have liked to have the chance to get down on my knee and ask you to be my wife."

At this point I stopped for a breather and chanced a look at Bella. Her eyes were filled with tears- tear tracks were running down her cheeks and she was sniffling. _Fuck! I have upset her with my stupid-ass mouth. I shouldn't have opened my fucking mouth. Damn it, Cullen, can't you do anything right?_ I kept chastising myself when Bella's hoarse voice asked, "Why did you stop? Go ahead."

I looked at her closely and asked, "Bella, what did I say wrong? What did I do to upset you? I'm sorry for… "

Before I could figure out what I was sorry for Bella croaked, "Oh no, you don't. Don't you dare say sorry for the most romantic thing anyone has ever said to me. Go on… I just got a bit… emotional."

I sighed with relief and the fact that she thought of me as romantic didn't dampen my spirits either. I smiled softly at her before continuing, "Well, the thing is Bella, we didn't get what we should have. But I want to fix that. I want you- heart, body, and soul. So, I want to know you before we go down that road. I want our relationship to be based on something more than just lust. Does that answer your question, Mrs. Cullen?"

She bit her lip for a few seconds before lifting her head to meet my eyes and then she nodded, "Yes, it does, Dr. Cullen. So… what do you propose we do to correct the situation?"

I thought for a bit before answering, "Well, we already met outside of the alter. How about we try being friends? I've never had any close friends beside Emmett."

Bella gave me a beautiful smile as she nodded, "I think we should toast to our new friendship then, Dr. Cullen." After taking a sip of her soda she smiled at me, "Hmm… so, I have to beat Emmett, huh?"

I laughed at her playful manner and nodded. Then we continued with our dinner.

Afterwards I cleaned up the kitchen and Bella went to get ready for bed. I had just turned off the hall lights when she came out of her room and stood on the first step of the stairway. I felt my breath leave my body.

I had been around Bella wearing scrubs but Bella wearing a blue tank-top, and short shorts made me want to cry_. How the fuck are we going to be friends and take it slow if every time I saw her my stupid dick stood up to salute her?_ She didn't seem to notice my condition as she waved at me wishing me a goodnight before turning in for the night.

I immediately called Emmett and asked him about the coffee machine I asked him to order for me. He said it was delivered today and was sitting on his dining table. I told him I would go to pick it up next morning before getting ready for bed.

**BPOV**

Tuesday morning I woke up from the most restful night's sleep I had gotten since this arrangement had been disclosed to me. Last night when Edward explained what he felt we should've had I couldn't help but cry. Now I wasn't a crybaby, but what he described- I wanted it all- _badly_.

I wanted to have him woo me, I wanted to fall in love with him, I wanted him to fall in love with me, I wanted him to pull some stupid Romeo tricks to get my father pissed off, I wanted him down on one knee holding a small diamond ring, I wanted to say '_I do'_ to him because I loved him- not because our parents thought us to be a good match.

I wanted to be his best friend, his wife, his love and… maybe someday… the mother of his child. He has shown me the first step. _I will be his friend and that starts now!_

With my resolve formed I got out of bed and started to prepare for my day.

When I got downstairs two things hit me- first, Edward was awake before me and second, by the nervous look he had on his face- something was up. I looked suspiciously at him but he straightened up at the sight of me and I couldn't help but return the smile that lit up his face.

I decided to do something different for breakfast and resorted to my second favorite breakfast- pop tarts. Edwards looked on with curious eyes as I shoved the pop tarts towards him. I put down his tea and breakfast before him and took the seat opposite to his.

We had our food silently which for a change was not awkward. When Edward cleared his throat I looked up and he got up before placing a steaming mug in front of me. I narrowed my eyes at him and asked, "What's this, Edward?"

He gave me his crooked smile- _you know the one that made my ovaries wanna explode, yeah, that one_- and replied, "It is a peace offering and my first step towards our friendship." I sniffed the thing in the mug and it smelled like- coffee?

I was shocked at this peace-offering and exclaimed, "You got me coffee?" I was already feeling good about our friendship. _Though there's a very good chance that's not because of who I was befriending but the coffee!_ _Oh who the fuck am I kidding? It is definitely because of the smug boy standing before me!_

Edward gave me a wide smile as he shook his head, "Not exactly, I got you a coffee maker. I got it this morning and installed it. Then I figured what the hell… may as well try using the thing. So, you got the result in your hands."

_Darn that man! Why is he so hell-bent on being perfect? It's not fair. Nobody should be as handsome, sexy, romantic and now… thoughtful as him!_ I was sure I couldn't answer him even if I tried so I just nodded my head in thanks. His smile was so beautiful it made me want to cry even more.

I was about to take a sip of my coffee but he stopped me, "Um, Bella, it's black. I know you'll not have black coffee but I wasn't sure how much creamer or sugar you take so… here." He handed me small box of creamer and sugar sachets making me laugh out. _I guess some things never change!_

After sufficient modification I tinkled my mug with his and we both had our caffeine fixes smiling like lunatics at each other the whole time.

As I finished breakfast I got up to Edward and leaned down to kiss his cheek, "Thank you, Edward. I really liked your peace offering. Though you could've saved a lot of money by simply getting me coffee from the vending machine at hospital."

He smiled softly and replied, "You're welcome, Mrs. Cullen. I figured you should have a coffee maker in our home. I mean, you had one at your old place right?" It didn't feel weird when he called his place _ours_ anymore and frankly- those caterpillars turned butterflies I told you about- they did weird things in my stomach when he called me Mrs. Cullen.

I smiled back at him and asked, "Well, very thoughtful first step from you, Dr. Cullen. What do you think should be my first step?"

He gave me a bright smile and with a slight mischievous glint in his eyes he suggested, "You can let me drive you to and from work, Bella."

I looked down at my feet before nodding. And that's what we did, we carpooled to work and Edward, just like before- opened my car door for me and only after I was seated he got in the car himself. _He could be such a gentleman if he wanted to be!_

**-OTC-**

During our shift we both exchanged smiles without any reasons- most probably making patients think it's the psych ward instead of neuro. But honestly we couldn't care less.

At lunch break, Rose, Jasper and I were sitting together when Jazz broached the subject, "So, B, what's up with you and the Dr. Cullen? You guys were smiling so much this morning it actually seemed a bit creepy." Rose looked questioningly at me. I could almost hear her brain wheels turn.

"NO, Rose," I almost yelled before she could voice her suspicion, "NOTHING's going on. We… decided to be friends."

Rose seemed to believe me when Jasper butted in once more, "Uh-huh, friends who close the blinds when alone in a room and exchange secret smiles during rounds. I get ya…"_ God! Can I staple his tongue to his cheek?_

Rose opened her mouth but I interrupted her, "Don't listen to this ass, Rose. Nothing really happened. We were having a huge fight when he closed the blinds." I didn't lie. I simply omitted a part of the truth. We did have a fight which was followed by the hottest kiss of my insignificant life.

This time Rose finally cracked and shouted lowly, "Zip it, you two." We both looked startled at her sudden yell. When she was sure none of us were about to interrupt her once more she continued, "Let me get this straight, you and Eddie have a huge fight and then the next morning you have been seen exchanging _secretive _smiles? Sounds like recipe for makeup sex if you ask me, Bell."

I gave a nervous laugh and said, "Don't be silly, Rose. He… redeemed himself this morning." I could see Jasper again opening his mouth to say something else. So I kicked him under the table and pressed on, "… by buying a coffee machine for me."

Rose let out a whistle knowing Edward had hit on my main weakness- coffee. Before anyone could say anything else a smooth velvet voice asked, "May I join you guys for lunch?" I couldn't control my natural reflex to that tone- I blushed. When I peeked up from the curtain of my hair I saw him smirk at me._ That fucker knew I was blushing!_

Edward took the seat opposite to mine seeing I was sandwiched in between the Hale-twins. Soon he and Jasper were talking excitedly about some video game and Rose was telling me her late night phone call from Emmett. I tried to concentrate on her rambling but I could feel Edward's stare on me from time to time- making my stupid cheeks flush; followed by his small chuckle. _I'll get you for this, Cullen._

The rest of our shift was passed in similar fashion- us sharing small smiles and glances, Jasper ribbing me when no one was around, me ribbing him right back about Alice when Edward was out of hearing range.

After our shift ended Edward drove me back to the house and the thought running through my head was, "_I could get used to this. Maybe being married to Edward was not that bad after all. Besides a few hot kisses wouldn't be terribly unwelcome..._"

After we got back home our playful day didn't evaporate. Instead I made us dinner as he prepared the DVD for our Friends routine. We laughed at the silliness of the show. Before going to bed I gave him a hug while wishing him goodnight. _Come on, friends- who- would- be potentially- dating could hug each other, right?_

**EPOV**

The rest of the week was reflection of Tuesday. Bella prepared us breakfast and I in return made her coffee with the right amount of cream and sugar she took the first day. I drove her to the hospital, we went on our rounds and I shared her table with her friends.

In the last few days I got to talk to Rosalie during our lunch break and surprisingly found out she was not a bad person. She was blond and down-right bitchy most of the times but she genuinely cared for Bella. And that excused everything else in my book.

Some days Bella made me take some dinner to Emmett because she didn't want him to feel neglected or replaced in my life because now I had Bella in it. But she was way off the mark.

Em couldn't be happier in my progressing life with Bella. He already loved Bella like his little sister. Having delicious food made by my wife certainly didn't make him a hater. Besides I felt like it had something to do with Rosalie Hale as well. Looked like since last Friday; Em and Rosalie had become quite close. In fact Em told me he had asked her out on a date. I couldn't believe my cousin going on a date! He was more of a one-night stand kind of guy.

Anyway back to my life with Bella.

We watched Friends while having our dinners in the couch. I used to frown upon people who preferred to sit in front of a TV instead of at the table in dinner time. But now I realized that sitting side-by-side with Bella, our arms slightly brushing when we reached for food was way better than sitting dumbly across a huge-ass table.

We hadn't kissed again since Monday but I wanted to take it slow. I wanted- no I needed- our relationship to work. So did Bella- it seemed. Instead of goodnight kisses we exchanged goodnight hugs before going off to our separate beds. I couldn't wait till I would have Bella sleep beside me not in another bed, in another room. However I had no idea my wish was going to be fulfilled so soon though under very different circumstances than I was wishing for.

**-OTC-**

It was Friday again and it felt like I had lead injected to my eyelids after about 22 hours of shift. Another two hours and I was going to whisk Bella off in my silver unicorn- I mean, silver Volvo- to home for our off day the next day. I was so sleepy I could practically feel the α-waves washing over me. (α- wave is a type of sleep waves in the total sleep cycle.)

Suddenly I was jolted awake by the vibrations in my pants. _No, not _that _vibration- what kind of pervert do you take me for?_ - It was my vibrating cell phone. I looked at the caller ID and saw my father's smiling face on the screen. I quickly picked it up.

"Hey, Dad. How are you? How's mom doing?" I tried not to sound too grouchy with my sleepy voice.

Dad chuckled and asked, "_Bad timing, Son? I can call back later if you were sleeping."_

I shook my head before remembering he couldn't see me so I said, "No, Dad. It's actually good to hear your voice. Besides I'm still on duty- 24 hours shift." He sighed I could feel his sympathy at my tiredness.

"_That's the life, Son. Anyway I'll get to the point and then let you go_." He stopped for a few seconds. I could hear him talk to someone in the background. _Looked like, he was on duty as well._

When the background voices went away he again continued, "_Edward, you there, Son?_" I hummed in reply feeling too lazy to utter a proper syllable. Dad laughed and said, "_Listen, there's a conference at Seattle next week- from Tuesday through Friday. We- your mother and I- were thinking of going to Seattle on next Monday, a day before the conference starts to visit you and Bella. I have made reservations at the Fairmont Hotel…_"

I interrupted my dad before he could finish, "Dad, no. You have your son living in a huge penthouse in the city and you reserved a hotel for you? Cancel it, right now. I don't want my mother or you to stay in a hotel when I have a perfectly good room fully furnished for the two of you."

He tried to protest saying something about privacy but I shut him up, "Bella and I will be very happy if you stayed with us, Dad. Take the next week off. You can come on Monday and then leave on Saturday. No arguments please, Dad."

He laughed at my stubbornness and finally acquiesced saying that if the Fairmont regrets losing a good deal of money it was all on me. I practically told him that the hotel could fuck itself- without actually using the F-word out loud.

After hanging up I got up to look for my wife. If we were to have house guest next week I was pretty sure she would want to know about it ASAP.

**A/N: There you have it. They talked… finally! :)**

**Anyone went all "AWWW…" when Edward gave his little speech? I did! :P**

**BTW, I did not mean the bit about Socrates as an insult… just clearing up. :)**

**You guys remember the test I told you about? It's been rearranged… I have the written test on Friday and the viva voce on Sunday. So sorry guys… don't think there's gonna be an update till next Tuesday. I know… RL sucks! :(**

**Anyways, let me know your thoughts on this chapter and leave a review.**

**Take care.**

**Ann**


	24. Chapter 24: Decepticons Prepare for Batt

**Disclaimer: No copyrights infringement intended. I don't own Twilight saga or any of its awesome characters, nor do I own anything regarding the TV shows or the movie mentioned here. I just love Criminal Minds and CSI… equally. :-D**

**A/N: Thanks to everyone who has reviewed, favorited, put on alert or simply... read OTC. You guys make my days a little bit brighter. Thank you.**

**Enjoy Chapter-24 and I'll see you at the end of this chapter! :-)**

**Chapter-24: Decepticons Prepare for Battle**

**BPOV**

Friday at work was super hectic, seeing as it was the double shift day for us, but it was good hectic. The type of hectic you feel after a good work-out, yeah, that kind.

About an hour before the shift was to be over, I ran into Edward in between the ward entrance and the Nurses' Station. His look said that he was troubled about something. When he saw me, he opened his mouth but before he could say anything, his pager went off, letting him know that he was needed for a seizure emergency in the ER. I wanted to call him back, but he just shook his head at me before dashing towards the ER.

By the time I got into the Volvo, after Edward had returned 15 minutes past the end of shift, I had already forgotten that little incident.

He was the first one to break the silence. "Bella, I was wondering if you wanted to get dinner on our way home. I know you must be exhausted to want to cook tonight."

I smiled gratefully at his sudden thoughtfulness. He seemed to have come a long way from the asshole I had met at Joe's. I thought for a second before replying, "Can you take a right turn? There's a McDonald's two blocks down. Maybe we could get something from the drive-thru?"

He looked at me like I had asked for live grizzly bears for dinner instead of some plain old greasy food. Then he blinked and asked, "You… want _oily_ food? You do know that all their meals contain grease, right?"

I blushed, thinking that he must think of me as less feminine now. But before I could chastise myself for being this frank with him and offer a more reasonable, health-conscious choice, my inner voice said in a tone that suspiciously sounded like Rose's, "_Isabella Marie, You are anything but less feminine. Being feminine doesn't mean you have to be a typical girly girl. If you want to have a future with this man, a relationship with him, you need to show him your true self. You are not some salad eating rabbit. You prefer greasy food at Mac's and delis to the small-ass veggie food at swanky restaurants. This guy deserves to know about you. Don't ever be ashamed at yourself, Missy!_"

Emboldened with my sudden burst of_ Fuck it_ attitude, I answered him, "I know. And do you know how _good_ it feels to consume large amount of greasy food and then fall into a food-induced coma, after a long day at work?"

He chuckled at my reply. "Yeah, I know that one." He kept driving towards the golden arches and when we were at the ordering window, he turned to face me, "So, Madam Pharmacist, what would you like to have?"

I didn't even have to think before prattling off my usual order. "A Crispy Chicken Classic Sandwich and a Chocolate Shake." Edward chuckled again before placing my order along with his McRib and a Chocolate Shake as well.

While we were waiting for the food, he looked at me before shaking his head and chuckling again. I couldn't control my urge to ask him, "What's so funny?"

He peeked at me and smirked in his obnoxious way as he replied, "You are, Bellarina. Just when I think I've figured you out, you prove me wrong. Most girls wouldn't go for a chocolate shake, you know? Alice always orders the strawberry one… _if_ she orders it. She thinks it's all getting deposited on her stomach."

I looked haughtily at him and said, "Well, Dr. Cullen, you should've already known… I'm _not_ like most girls. Besides, I know about peristaltic movement. So no way I'm gonna think it's all getting deposited in my stomach."

He murmured softly, looking like he was lost in another world, "I'm gathering that you are in _no way_ like anyone else, Mrs. Cullen." That surname still made me start and I tried to divert the conversation by changing topic.

Unfortunately I ventured into an even more curious one. I thought since we were friends now, I'd ask him about the name he called me by sometimes. I cleared my throat and tucked a stray piece of my hair behind my ear, before asking, "Can I… can I ask you something?" After he nodded for me to continue I asked, "Why did you call me that? Bellarina? You used that name before too."

He looked like a deer caught in headlights, as if never expecting me to ask about this and gulped before saying in a subdued tone, "It's just a silly nickname. I… uhh… thought it sounded… good. But if you don't like it I won't…"

I didn't let him finish, "NO! That's… that's not what I meant. It's actually kind of… cute… thanks for calling me something other than Izzie." He let out a relieved laughter and motioned towards the window, indicating it was our turn to be served.

The rest of the way home, we talked about random stuff. He told me about the ER patient and time seemed to pass faster when I was with him lately. _What was with that?_

**-OTC-**

We were sitting side-by-side, barely escaping touching of our arms, in front of the TV where after much persuasion, Edward had managed to make me watch _CSI,_ but I still was trying to make him understand that _Criminal Minds_ was a better crime show than _CSI_. Our food was already finished. When a small respite in our '_my favorite show is better than yours'_ discussion occurred, Edward started fidgeting.

I caught his eye and arched my eyebrows, silently asking him what the matter was. He suddenly looked nervous, making me remember the run-in I had at the end of our shift with him.

He gulped down few hasty mouthfuls of water from the bottle beside him and then started, "Bella, I kind of did something— without checking with you if it was all right first. Now I kind of wish I had checked before."

I felt myself dreading whatever it was he had done. _It must have been pretty big deal if he was pissing himself!_ I could hear the anxiety in my voice when I asked him, "What did you _do_?"

He pinched the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes. After a few seconds of breathing-in and out, he blurted out, "My parents are coming to Seattle for a conference on coming Monday and I kind of invited them to stay with us for a week."

I stared at him for about a minute, trying to process what he had said. _That's what he had been so scared about? Jesus! I was thinking of him saying that he didn't feel we could be something other than friends and then admitting that he had applied for a divorce or some shit!_ I don't know why but the idea of him giving up on an '_us_' was so hurtful— like it could crush my heart.

I couldn't hide the relief from my voice when I exclaimed, "That's it? That is what you have been sweating bullets for?"

His eyes narrowed, seemingly catching on to my relief and he asked me, "Why? What did you think I was about to say?"

I couldn't tell him the answer. So I did what I usually do in such situations— I diverted his attention, "Why did you think I was going to get mad for you asking your parents to stay at your home?"

He looked at me sheepishly and replied, "I was afraid they might intrude on your privacy. It's _our_ home, Bella. And you should have a say about any house guests we invite here as much as I do."

His emphasis on the word _our_ caught my notice. Sometimes it still skipped my notice that he considered this place as _ours_- not just _his_.

In order to hide my awkwardness, I said to him in a softer voice, "Edward, I already love your parents. They have been nothing but kind to me. I would be delighted to have them stay with us. You shouldn't have been scared to say that to me. Them— I love, it's their arrogant-ass of a son that infuriates me, _all_ the time." I rolled my eyes letting him know I was joking.

My attempt succeeded and Edward granted me a beautiful smile. And all awkwardness simply vanished all of a sudden.

After that we cleaned up the remnants of our dinner, walked up the stairs together and went to our bedrooms after exchanging _goodnight_ wishes. _Having Esme and Carlisle would cut through some of the still lingering awkwardness for a few days, right?_ I didn't realize just how wrong I was until after we had finished with breakfast the next morning.

**EPOV**

Saturday morning, after a super delicious breakfast of omelets, pancakes and breakfast tea all prepared by my wife, Bella and I sat at the dining table, discussing the fact that groceries needed refilling. Bella had just suggested we buy some extra fancy stuff this week for my parents' visit when the ring of my iphone cut through our conversation.

I picked my phone up and checked the caller ID before answering, "Hey Allie, how are you? Are you coming to Seattle with mom and dad?"

A faint sound of chewing followed by swallowing told me that Alice was still having her breakfast. Without greeting me back, she asked me, "_Is Bella there with you?_" When I hummed in affirmation, she ordered, "_Put me on speaker. I need to talk to both of you._"

I looked at Bella and noticed her uncomfortable expression which told me she felt she was intruding on my conversation with my sister. She peeked at me and was about to get up from her seat when without thinking, reached out and grasped her small hand in my larger one.

"It's Alice. She wants to talk to the both of us," I explained. When she relaxed back in her seat, I put the call on speaker and said out loud, "Okay, Alice, we're both here. What's up?"

"_Hi, Bella! How are you? Is my grumpy brother treating you well?_" Alice seemingly forgot my presence and started discussing me. _Typical Alice._ _She could be so obnoxious!_

Bella laughed softly as she replied, "Hi, Allie, I'm good. Grumpy is actually behaving at the moment." She winked at me playfully and I dramatically rolled my eyes heavenward.

"Good. Now listen up, I have some very scary news. Well, I had, but Ed's earlier question about my coming to Seattle meant you already know about our parents' trip, don't you?" We both said yes before Bella vocalized the question running through my head.

"Alice, why will Esme and Carlisle's coming to visit us be a scary news? I thought they… liked me?" Her hesitation at the last words showed me how unsure she still was about our relationship.

Alice made a huffing sound before saying, "_Bella, they positively _adore_ you. In fact, they may love you a little bit more than Edward by now. But that's not what I meant. Last week when I visited you, you had your _personal bedrooms_. I can only guess how hard and awkward and frankly quite _uncomfortable_ this situation still is with you two. But my parents don't know about what you requested of Edward before going ahead with the wedding, nor do they have any idea of Edward accepting it as a logical request._"

I wanted to say that it didn't feel like _logical_ some days anymore. Some days- _that are alarmingly increasing in number and frequency_— I wished I had Bella with me. I wanted to wake up in the middle of the night and see her sleep peacefully beside me. But I didn't dare to voice my untoward thoughts at the moment.

Alice was still speaking, while I took a brief respite to fantasize about sleeping with Bella— just sleeping and nothing else still sounded good. "… _So do you guys want to tell Mom and Dad about your separate living arrangements?_"

Her question brought me out of my thoughts and I looked up to meet the panicked look in Bella's eyes. She blushed before shaking her head. "N-no. I don't… I don't want them to think that I'm a selfish prick. They'll think I care about my personal space too much if they heard that I forced Edward to give me a separate room."

I snorted at the idea of Bella being selfish. Bella looked up at me with narrowed eyes and I held up both hands and said, "Bella no one in their right minds will think you're selfish. And if you had heard the way my parents talked to me about you, you'd have thought you were a wingless angel or something. Besides you didn't force me about it."

Bella's lips formed a slight pout and she refused to meet my eyes as she started nibbling on her bottom lip. I suddenly wanted so badly to reach out and tug that lip free from the prison of her teeth. But I controlled myself and instead tried to soothe her mind. "Maybe we shouldn't tell my parents about our understanding. They might worry if they did something wrong by getting us married."

As soon as the words left my mouth, I regretted them. Because Bella's eyebrows formed a prefect frown-line, telling me that she was wondering if _I_ thought we made a mistake by getting married as well. So I quickly countered my earlier words, "But it would be irrational. Because yeah, we might have liked to know each other a bit before getting married but Bella, I could never… ever… regret _this_." With my last words I held up my hand to hold it to her blushing cheek.

Bella finally granted me her shy and beautiful smile and of course, my pain-in-the-ass sister ruined our moment. She let out a giggle. "_Guys, I'm still here, you know?_"

I removed my hand, cleared my throat and replied, "Yeah… uhh… Alice, so I guess we're not gonna say anything to our parents. What do you propose we should do?"

Alice started prattling off suggestions about what changes we could make in order to keep my parents from suspecting we were not really in a married relationship- _yet_. Bella and I listened to Alice's list of stripping Bella's bedroom of any personal touches.

We finally decided on leaving her closet stocked there and saying to my parents that both of our clothes couldn't fit in my closet. Bella wanted to leave her books and laptop there as well. If asked, we would simply say that Bella was using that room as her personal study. When I nodded at her valid point, we already had a solid plan for deceiving our parents.

With our plans firmly in place, we ended our call with Alice. Before hanging up, Alice told us to let her know if we needed any help from her. She said she'd probably drop by on next Thursday to check out a place she was thinking of getting if she indeed opened her boutique in Seattle.

As soon as I pressed the end button, Bella jumped off her feet and ordered me, "Get your ass up and moving, Mister. We have things to buy. We can't simply buy hot-pockets or frozen foods for the next week. We'll need real groceries. I don't want Esme to think I am making her son eat unhealthy food." I grinned at her sudden commanding voice and stood up. This domesticity was starting to feel quite good to me.

**-OTC-**

After about an hour of Bella's mental ticking off items and my silently dragging the huge shopping cart beside her, we finally arrived at the checkout counter. While we were still in line, Bella started to open her purse but I quickly put my hand on hers and stopped her. She narrowed her eyes at me and warned me, "Oh no, you don't. You paid last time. It's my turn now."

I rolled my eyes at her and said, "You cooked every time we've had a home-cooked meal. So, I should get to pay every time we buy groceries. Besides," I gave her a condescending look and continued, "I earn more than you do."

"Ugh, it's not about money, Edward." She looked like she'd have loved to clock me just to shut me up. "It's about my principles. I cannot be completely dependent on you. I've never really been dependent on anyone after I started my senior year in high school." Her last sentence coupled with the sad expression on her face, made me feel like an ass for putting that expression on her face.

I nudged her shoulder with mine and offered a compromise. "How about we split it then? Say…" I was going to say 90-10 but one look from her made me be fairer than I wanted to be, "… 70-30?"

She thought for a second before saying, "Nope, 50-50. Take it or leave it."

I chuckled at her antics and nodded at her. "Look's like we've got ourselves a deal, Bellarina."

She blushed at my name-calling making me grin like a loon.

**-OTC-**

On Saturday night, Bella made a dinner of scrumptious Pasta Carbonara and chicken salad for me- well, Emmett and Rosalie was also there but I liked to think that they were intruders in my Bella-cooked-food-time; since they came in for dinner with us after returning from their movie date. We shared the information of Carlisle and Esme's impending visit and Emmett seemed over the moon at the prospect of seeing them after two long weeks.

However, I caught Rosalie exchanging looks with Bella. She looked worried but after Bella had nodded and smiled at her, she relaxed. _Hmm… looked like Rosalie did truly care for my Bella._ I was happy for the fact that my wife had a caring friend in Rosalie like I had in Em.

**-OTC-**

Sunday was pretty hectic day both at work and at home. At work, a little boy had been admitted to the hospital due to severe nerve injury in a blender-related accident and most of my day was spent making sure that he would be eligible for surgical re-attachment of the damaged nerves.

At home, Bella and I felt like fucking Decepticons from the _Transformers_ movie, as we stripped her room of any semblance of being inhabited. We had just left her bed sheets in place and decided to remove them the following morning before leaving for work. In a stroke of genius, I took an armload of books, few of her clothes and other totally random stuff to take up to my room- to make it look like we had both been sleeping there.

It felt wrong to deceive my parents like this but I didn't want anyone to think of our marriage as a mistake. Because rash though it was, it was still something that had brought me Bella. And something that had made it possible for me to call her _mine,_ would never be a mistake— not in my book.

**BPOV**

I knew, I was staring at the damn clock all day. I knew, I had been biting my lip too much to make it almost bleed by this point. I knew, I looked too absorbed in my own world. I knew, it was not going to relieve me. Yet, I was still standing at the bedside of the little boy, who had come yesterday with serious nerve injury, instead of counseling his mother like I was supposed to— I was staring at the clock and biting my lip too hard, giving no one a bit of my precious notice by this point.

But in my mind I was justified to be worried, and anxious, and scared… maybe even bordering on an onset of a panic attack. Because today, my in-laws were coming for a week-long visit with us. So of course my nerves were a bit frayed with worry. I was not worried of their staying. Don't get me wrong- I already loved Esme Cullen a lot and Carlisle Cullen was also a favorite candidate for Dad-in-law of the year for me, simply because he was a kind man and made my Dad laugh like I never heard him before, not even with Billy. It was just the thought of _pretending_ to live in the same space as Edward was a very scary concept.

I did like staying with him— a lot more than I thought I should, but the idea of _hiding_ our true relationship was not really an encouraging one. I knew that they as well as my parents had already meddled enough in our relationship and any way Edward and I try to make us work, was none of their business. But that was my logical brain talking.

My heart was scared shitless about to piss itself— if that was possible. I couldn't help but wonder, "_What if they catch on to our deception? They'll hate me for it, won't they? They'll think of me as a gold-digger for staying at their son's place and not letting him come anywhere near me. But he had agreed to the understanding before I went ahead with the wedding. God! It's all so fucking confusing!_"

The thing that was most terrifying to me was the fact that I was the worst liar in the history of lying. My lying track record was so bad and I got caught in such silly manners that I could've set my own butt on fire and shouted pointing at myself '_Liar! Liar! Pants on fire!_' and it would've been the same._ God help me!_

**-OTC-**

Edward was driving us home, when Emmett called him. Edward switched on the hands-free at the steering wheel and greeted him, "Hey Em, you're on speaker and I have Bella with me."

Emmett greeted us with such a cheery manner that seemed to relax us both. "Hello to you too, Li'l bro and BabyBell, how's it going, sis?"

After my murmured '_Hey'_ had reached him, he said, "The folks are here, guys. When are you gonna get home?" My worry increased back up immediately.

Edward seemed to notice my sudden stiffness and quickly hung up. Then he stopped the car at the next traffic light and reached over the gear shaft to take my hand. When I let him take my hand, he squeezed it and said, "Relax, Bella. It's not like you're meeting them for the first time. You'll be fine._ We'll_ be fine."

I couldn't help but let him know about the reason for my panic. "Edward, I'm horrible at lying. I _can't _lie. It's a _pathological disorder,_ I think! What if they figure out that I'm lying?"

He chuckled at my panic and squeezed my fingers once more before saying, "But we're not really lying now, are we? We are going to share the same room for the time they stay here, so that isn't technically lying. They're not going to ask if we had been sleeping together or not— even my parents are not _that_ nosey."

I ignored the double meaning his phrasing of '_sleeping together_' had and instead felt myself relax at his touch and offered him a nod.

When the light turned green again, Edward started driving and asked in an offhand voice, "I noticed that you're not wearing your ring. You don't like it?"

I grimaced at his tone of question. Because though he sounded indifferent about it, the question had felt like a tricky one. I fidgeted with my purse before pulling out my wedding band. As I put it back on my finger, I replied, "It's not that. I just am not a very big fan of jewelries. I'm still getting used to the idea of having it on me, most of the time. I just take it off at work. I didn't want to risk losing it." "_Or someone seeing it and asking me about my husband_", I mentally added.

I had fully expected Edward to argue about my reasoning but he simply said a faint '_okay_' before turning at the entrance to our home.

**-OTC-**

When we got back to the penthouse, we went to Emmett's place to invite Edward's parents to our home. After just one ring of the doorbell, the door swung open and I was immediately pulled into a hug by Esme— not one of those hugs that felt smothering, no— it was the warm motherly hug that made you want to cuddle bit closer to the source.

I couldn't help but hug her back tightly and let all my fears wash away with the sound of her voice, "Darling Child, I am so glad to see you. How are you doing, dear?"

I smiled at my mother-in-law and just as I loosened my hold on her I felt another warm hand take mine and when I looked up to Esme's side, my father-in-law was standing there with an affectionate smile. "Hello, Bella. I hope you are doing well."

I had a rather Alice like moment and let out a happy squeal— a small one— as I smiled brightly at my in-laws. "Hi Carlisle, Esme! It's so good to see you too. I'm fine. How are you doing? Why don't you come to the house and we'll talk over dinner."

Emmett, who seemed to be listening in, quickly canceled the idea. He said in his usual loud voice, "Nope, can do, BabyBell. I already ordered dinner- Chinese- for all of us. So you don't have to worry your pretty little head over what to cook." I opened my mouth to say that I had wanted to cook but he shut me up, "I know you two want your turns with the parents but c'mon, I need my share too. Why don't you take _Pouty Boy_ there with you and get your freshened up butts back here within fifteen minutes."

At his name- calling, I laughed and looked over to Edward or Pouty Boy. And sure enough, he was pouting like a little boy who has had his ice-cream snatched up by bullies at the playground. Edward kept that cute pout on his face as he mulishly contradicted, "I'm not a _Pouty Boy_. Don't call me stupid names, Em. I'm just speechless at the _amazing _situation where my parents, after coming to Seattle, don't even bother to give me a hug. _Life's too good and I'm ecstatic!_"

I wanted to '_aww_' at him and pinch his cheeks and _maybe_… kiss those pouty lips. "_No, no, Swan. Bad idea. Don't think of Edward's lips as pouty and kissable. Those lips are dangerous. How many nights have you woken up from dreaming of kissing those lips? You're standing in front of your in-laws for fuck's sake! Don't start drooling on the cute sexy boy they reproduced._" I was so busy in schooling my feelings that I almost missed Esme's hugging Edward, followed by kissing his cheeks.

Edward's face split into a huge fucking grin as he kissed his mother on her cheek and shook his father's hand. _He must really love his parents._ I suppressed a sigh at the adorable sight.

Growing up, I had a loving family but not a mother who would take care of me— instead I had to be the one taking care of her— nor a father who'd hug me at random times or show his emotions. Don't get me wrong, I wasn't an emotional balloon either but sometimes, I craved the closeness of family that I saw in Rose's. _Maybe in time, I'll have that family as well. I mean the Cullens seem really loving toward me already!_

**-OTC-**

After dinner at Emmett's place, we brought Esme and Carlisle with us and showed them up to their bedroom. Esme peeked at my— _looking unlived in—_ bedroom and remarked, "I see you've had this spare room decorated." Immediately all my previous feelings of dread returned and I looked at Edward with panic.

But like the cool and calm fucker he was, he simply shrugged one shoulder and replied, "Bella needed a study for herself. I figured it will be best to have it next to our room." _See, that's how you lie, you chicken-shit!_ I mentally flipped off my bitchy inner voice and managed to smile.

Esme seemed to accept Edward's explanation and simply nodded in appreciation. Since they were both tired and Edward and I had work in the morning, we decided to head off to bed and said our goodnights.

Before stepping inside Edward's room, I spared a longing look at my bedroom and sighed as I followed Edward in his room.

Edward's room was— quite like my old room. He had a huge— like a small island huge— king size bed, bedside cabinets, a black leather couch which looked really comfy and a beanbag. I was taking everything in as Edward cleared his throat, "Um, I'll… uh… I'll take the couch. You take the bed. All right?"

I shook my head and said, "Nope, all wrong. Edward, it's your room— your bed. You take the bed and I'll take the couch."

Edward looked mildly offended at my suggestion as he asked me, "Bella, what kind of a man will I be if I let you sleep on the couch while I snored away in the bed? Besides we've to share because of _my _parents so it's only fair I take the couch."

I narrowed my eyes at him and challenged him, "So, let me get this straight, if next week _my_ parents come for a visit, I'll have to sleep on the couch?" Edward started to shake his head automatically but at my smug smile, he quickly stopped and huffed.

I tried to be reasonable, "How about another compromise? We struck a deal this weekend and that makes us partners, right? So, how about we both share the bed…. with a… no-man's-land in between? It's a pretty big bed you got there, Mr. Cullen."

Edward finally cracked a smile and nodded. "Sounds fair. And by the way…. That's _Doctor _Cullen to you, Bellarina." I laughed at his goofy playful ways.

We took turns to get ready for bed. I offered let him to go before me, wanting him to get in bed before I did— to figure out which side I should take. When I came out of the bathroom Edward had already slipped in the bed— the left side— leaving the right side open for me. Usually I wore a t-shirt over my panties or short shorts for sleep attires but since tonight was the first time I was about to share a bed with a guy, I couldn't help but be a bit self-conscious.

I still had my t-shirt on with sweatpants and left off the bra because I didn't want to be uncomfortable all day tomorrow. Edward seemed to be a bit self-conscious as well as he wore a similar outfit of t-shirt and pajama pants.

As we both turned to face opposite directions and laid down— with about a foot empty space between us, I thought that I was being ridiculous; sharing a bed with Edward couldn't be _that_ bad, could it?

When I got my answer the next morning, I felt my eyes bulge out of their sockets! _Holy fuck!_

**A/N: I know, I am evil to leave you hanging like this. But I have my reasons. The next part would be best suited for the following chapter. So stop pouting like Edward and let me know what you think of this chapter.**

**Leave me a review. :-)**

**Take care.**

**Ann**


	25. Chapter 25: Whom Exactly Are You Deceivi

**Disclaimer: No copyrights infringement intended. I don't own Twilight saga or any of its awesome characters.**

**A/N: Thanks to everyone who has reviewed, favorited, put on alert or simply... read OTC. You guys make my days a little bit brighter. Thank you.**

**Enjoy Chapter-25 and I'll see you at the end of this chapter! :-)**

**Chapter-25: Whom Exactly Are You Deceiving?**

**BPOV**

Tuesday morning, I hadn't even fully woken up when I noticed something. My pillow was harder— much harder than the usual one I had been sleeping on since coming to live with Edward. "_Did someone change it?_" was my first thought. But that didn't make any sense. Because since we got back last night, no one had been inside my room.

A new fact seemed to be registering my sleep-fogged brain. "_There's bright light coming from the general direction of where my feet are. Isn't the window behind my head instead of the opposite direction?_" That could only mean one thing…

Suddenly it all came crushing back to me. Edward's parents were here for a visit. We didn't want them to know the situation between Edward and me, so we had decided to sleep in Edward's room… in Edward's bed. "_Oh God! Edward!_" My eyes immediately snapped open at that thought.

The first thing I came face-to-face with was a gray fabric— on which my head seemed to be resting. _Wait, what…? Did he have grey bed covers?_

Trying desperately to get rid of the sleep-induced fog, I focused my eyes on the expanse of the fabric. It seemed to be stretched by a muscular— really firm and muscular… _chest_. Peeking furtively a bit higher, I came face-to-face with a jaw— a very angular and very lick-able jaw. _I know that jaw!_

My brain finally kicked into gear when it grasped the fact that, the hard pillow I was lying on was nothing but my— too-sexy-for-my-good, friendly, yet to whom I was ridiculously attracted to— husband's firm and muscled chest. _Well, fuck!_

From the rhythmic breathing I could feel against my hair and the steady heartbeat right under my left hand, I decided that Edward was still asleep. I tried to slowly and cautiously, get up from the bed but, as I raised my head slightly from its very comfortable position on Edward's chest, something caught my notice. Something that almost made me want to dig up a hole and crawl into it.

A thin, silvery, stretchy thread was hanging onto Edward's t-shirt, with the other end dangling down from the corner of my mouth. _Fuck… fucking… fuck!_ As I was mentally cussing myself, I took a closer look at his shirt. I could see the still damp circle of spit on the middle of his chest.

"_Jesus, Swan! Really? The guy offers you the sole use of his bed and you _drool _on him? Metaphoric drooling was okay till now, but how can you _literally_ drool on the guy? You're so fucking insane. Better start digging a hole in the nearby ground; you're gonna need it when he notices just how disgusting you are!_" It seemed like my subconscious was in a particularly bitchy mood that morning.

I held my breath and extracted myself from his side, before quickly dashing out the door to my '_study'_ to get a cold shower and dress for the day.

All through my shower, I kept imagining how disgusted Edward would have been when he woke up in the morning. For a fleeting second, _okay fine… for many long minutes_, my mind wondered off to imagining the feel of Edward's chest underneath my head and the beating of his heart beneath my hand. But one thought of his disgust and my embarrassment, drove all other thoughts out of my head. _I am such a fucking idiot!_

**-OTC-**

When I descended down the stairs for breakfast, I decided to make something light, but still impressive for the in-laws and started on my pancake batter. I had just started to put the pancakes on the stove, when Esme came down the stairs, looking prim and perfect. She smiled at me, before hugging me briefly with a "Good morning, Dear."

I returned her hug and greeting, and then turned back to my work. But Esme took my left hand and said gently, "Bella, dear, I'm sure you cook every morning and then go for a long day at work. Why don't you let me help you a bit? You can rest and save up your energy for the day ahead."

I shook my head and smiled to make my rejection softer. "Esme, it's fine. I like to cook. I have been cooking breakfast for my family since I was a junior in high school." _Besides, I think cooking breakfast for your son will soften the blow when he realizes I drooled on him._

However, she looked dejected at my answer and I had to reconsider. "If you really want to help me, you could start the coffee. That's what I would need to survive the day ahead."

Esme laughed slightly at my attempt at humor and said, "You are so much like Reneé used to be when we were in college. I swear, that girl lived on caffeine!"

Then, she noticed the coffee maker. "It's a good model you've got, Bella. Doesn't Rosalie miss her morning coffee fix, now that you've brought it with you? Or is she not a big fan of coffee?"

I blushed— unnecessarily, of course— as I replied, "Rose is actually just as much of a coffee-junkie as me. This is not mine, Esme. Edward got it, for me."

Esme's face lit up at my confession and she beamed. "Really? That's good. I'm glad he's taking good care of you. And judging by the tea you got boiling on the other stove, I can say you're taking good care of him as well."

"_No thanks to you, for that_," I mentally snapped. Actually, a little resentment had been growing in my mind, since the day Edward explained how it should have been for us, and I had realized how much I wanted _that_.

Disregarding the fact that Esme was the sweetest mother-in-law I could ask for, I was about to open my mouth, to express the feelings of awkwardness that was still present between Edward and me, because of their meddling in our relationship. But before I could say a word, I heard footsteps coming down the stairs, which soon were revealed to belong to Edward and his father. I quickly snapped out of my bitchy mood at the sight._ What the fuck were you about to spew out, Swan? It's not entirely Esme's fault that you feel awkward around him. Just look at the man. How can you not feel inadequate and awkward in the face of— all _that_?_

Edward had on his usual light blue button down shirt with jeans, which never failed to make me take a second look. However, today my eyes lingered on his chest— I could almost feel his chest under my head again. That thought led to the vision of the wet circular patch of drool I had left on him that morning and I blushed— feeling mortified.

Trying to avoid Edward's eyes, I looked up at his mother and met the sight of his father softly kissing Esme a _good morning_. I quickly lowered my eyes, unsure of where to look.

Suddenly two strong arms engulfed me from behind in a hug. Well— it looked like a hug, but most of our bodies were not touching, save our forearms. All my senses were washed with Edward's honey and sunshine smell that I had inhaled the very few times we had kissed—_ not to mention the time I had drooled on him._

Edward brought his mouth close to my left ear and said softly, "Good morning, Bellarina." His breath tickled the skin just beneath my ear and I gasped, before muttering incoherently. Edward seemed to gather my mumblings as my greeting him back and let go of me. I immediately felt cold with the loss of his warmth against my back.

Feeling confused, I turned to meet his eyes. But there was no trace of the disgust I was envisioning to see— no, there was a soft look in his eyes as he smiled at me, making me smile back as well. _Maybe he didn't notice the drool! Thank you, God!_

After my heart had sufficiently recovered from the close proximity of the _pretty boy_, I started to set the table for breakfast. But Edward beat me to the table and said to me when I got there with the jar of chocolate syrup, "You cooked, let me set the table. All right, partner?" I smiled at him and let him have his moment of being the perfect host.

During breakfast, we all talked normally and without any awkwardness, for a change. When we told them that we had a double shift from Wednesday afternoon to Thursday afternoon, Carlisle proposed that he and Esme stay with Emmett on Wednesday night since Emmett had been begging them the previous night about it. Then in a stroke of brilliance, I suggested that since we would have next Friday off, we all should go for brunch during the break in Carlisle's seminar. Everyone seemed to like the idea and Esme promised me to make sure to ask Emmett to keep his schedule free for the morning.

She was a sweet woman and I thanked my lucky stars that I hadn't unleashed my unnecessary anger at her._ She doesn't deserve to be bitched at. Whatever happened, happened. We just have to make it work for the best._

**-OTC-**

That day was another hectic day for us. I almost had a myocardial infarction when Rosalie caught me ogling Edward as he walked towards our table during lunch break. He had been joining us— meaning Rose, Jazz and me, for lunch instead of the doctors for the last few days.

It seemed to attract notices at first, but since he mostly sat beside Jasper and talked to him, no one took a second glance. No one but me— I_ thought_— noticed that he somehow wedged his way in between me and Jasper, so that I sat on the other side of him; neither did anyone see the small smile he always gave as he took his seat.

Anyway, back to my ogling. So, I was ogling at him— seeing the tight scrub top stretch across his chest, made me remember the feel of the said chest, again. _Oh for God's sake, Swan, stop acting like a hormonal teenage boy!_ I instantly bushed at my own chastisement, which I tried to cover behind my curtain of hair, but it caught Rosalie's notice.

"Okay, I admit that the guy is moderately good looking, if not a bit lanky. But seriously, Swan, if you don't quit gawking at him, you may start drooling any minute." I didn't catch the usual teasing timbre in her voice and thought of the worst.

I wanted to face-palm as I lamented. "Oh fuck, Rose, where the hell did you hear about _that_? Did he tell you? I knew my luck would never be this good. The fucker knew it but pretended not to notice. Ugh! I am so screwed!"

Rose's eyebrows went up at my whining. Then she looked from me to Edward and hissed at me. "What the hell are you saying, B? What did you do? Did you…" And then the light bulb went on her head and she gasped. "You did! Oh God! This is so funny!"

She saw the stupid blush radiating through my cheeks and realized that she was right and the next moment, she was howling with mirth. Finally, I grasped the fact that Edward really didn't know any of it and I had willingly walked to the gallows by implying it all to Rosalie.

"Keep it down, will you, Hale? I already drooled on the man. No need to let the entire hospital to know about the drooling mess I am. Promise me, you won't tell anyone about it, not even _your_ Emmett. He'll tell Edward and I wouldn't be able to look the man in the eyes again." My hissy-fit made her stop guffawing.

Rosalie discreetly wiped the corners of her eyes, so as to not make her eye-liner smudge, and then replied, "C'mon, B, I'm your soul sister. I always keep your secrets— even the really good ones that I could easily use for blackmail. Besides, why would I say anything to Emmett? He's not my boyfriend or anything."

I sighed with relief and started to turn the conversation towards Rose and Emmett's clearly blossoming relationship. "Of course, he's not. You just dance like you are about to be thrown out of clubs for public indecency with him, then go to dinner with him and then sleep with him. He's so not your boyfriend." My voice was dripping with sarcasm.

Rosalie took the bait and kept defending the fact that since Emmett did not ask her to be his girlfriend; she would not accept him as her boyfriend. After my limitless coaxing, she finally acknowledged the fact that, yes, Emmett did make her feel like a lady, she felt like he could be something other than a fling. But as long as he didn't make their '_whatever_' official, she wouldn't throw herself at him.

Her words got me thinking. _They already have everything, just minus being the official couple. On the other hand, Edward and I had the official part all covered, but didn't know jack about each other. This has to change._

**EPOV**

I tried to ignore the warmth of her body near me, to ignore the slight tingling feeling I got whenever our arms brushed each others, to ignore her voice from infiltrating my brain. But I failed— miserably. I only half-listened to Jasper's excited babbling about a new case he had seen in the ER, when he had gone there for something, and kept listening to the sound of Bella's sweet voice.

It was for her— for a certain urge to get close to her— I chose to sit at this table, instead of with the other residents. Being the perpetual awkward guy, I couldn't gather enough nerve to talk to her in front of all these co-workers; not because I was ashamed of her, because if anything, I wanted to shout at fuckers like Newton that _Bella was_ **_mine_**; no— because she didn't want to tell people about us and I respected her wish— for now.

I understood the fact that Bella had been thrown into the whole marriage thing, just like me, and I wanted her to accept it— me… us… without any external pressure. I was still half-listening to Hale, when snippets of Bella's words caught my notice.

She was saying something about a _man_. The first thought that crossed my mind was, "_Who the fuck is that? I'm going to tear him limb from limb, for looking at my Bella. Yes, she was mine… my wife. My friend, my Bella._"

But as she continued whispering fiercely to Rosalie, the words became clearer and a light bulb went on in my head. _I_ was the man. _I_ was the lucky fucker she was talking about. Then I remembered the slightly circular stain I had seen on my t-shirt when I woke up in the morning.

_Bella said something about drool… oh… ohhh… she drooled on me! Man! That's funny. Wait, she had been on the other end of the bed when we went to sleep last night, and when I woke up this morning, she was already gone. Then how… hmm… sounds like Bellarina had been attracted to me, even in her sleep. Damn! I am a lucky bastard!_

I was still grinning like an idiot, when I felt Bella stand up and look over at me and Jasper. Since we had finished our lunches as well, we stood up and joined her, on the way back to the ward, a small smile still plastered on my face.

**-OTC-**

We were on our way back home, when Bella broke the sound of Linkin Park coming out of the radio in a low volume. She turned to look at me and asked, "I realized something today. I don't know what Emmett does. I mean, I know he works and stuff, since I have seen him drive to somewhere in the mornings, but what exactly does he do?"

I chuckled at her innocent inquiry and replied, "Well, in high school, Em wanted to be a professional soccer player. But he got kicked out of the team, for pulling a prank on the coach. Then in our senior year, he wanted to be a personal trainer. But when dad explained to him it wouldn't be a rapid money-making profession, he decided to take another track and became an architect."

She laughed lightly at my explanation and fell silent. I decided to explain another thing that had been on my mind since the morning. "Bella," I started, "I should apologize to you."

Her perfect eyebrows arched upwards as she looked at me with confusion. "What for?"

I cleared my throat and ran one hand through my hair before answering her. "This morning, the way I behaved when I came downstairs. I don't know… I wanted my parents to see us being close, you know? I wanted them to see us as a happy couple, just like they are. I'm sorry if it was uncalled for."

She blushed and looked down at her hands, wringing them on her lap. She stayed silent for a few seconds, before looking up in my eyes and I saw the determination there when she said, "It wasn't uncalled for, Edward, maybe a bit unexpected? But that doesn't make it a bad thing. I don't regret it or anything that has happened between us. I just wish that…" She faltered.

Without conscious thought, I reached out and took one of her hand in mine, as I kept my eyes on the road. "What do you wish, Bella? Tell me. Friends tell friends everything, don't they?" I wanted to say that I would do whatever it takes to make her wishes come true. But thought it might be overkill and stuck with the 'friend' line.

Bella turned her hand and clasped mine, as she answered me in a whisper-soft voice, "I wish… we had everything you talked about that day. I wish the closeness of this morning was not for someone else's benefit, but for us."

When we reached a red light, I stopped the car and turned to meet Bella's eyes. Then I brought my hand out of her hold and tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear. She didn't flinch away from my touch; rather, she slightly leaned in towards my hand.

I looked into her eyes, as I said, "Bella, we may not have that closeness now but that doesn't mean we'll never have it. And I look forward to the day when we do."

She nodded and whispered, "I do, too." Suddenly some impatient-ass fucker honked the horn from behind us and broke our moment. The rest of the drive we were both silent— probably lost in the thoughts of our future.

**-OTC-**

The next two days were similar to the first day of my parents' visit. The only thing I had noticed on Wednesday morning, was that though Bella and I had went to bed with more than a foot distance between us, it wasn't how I found us when I woke up.

It was a rare day when I had woken up before Bella, and the first thing I noticed, was the feeling of softness against my side. I turned to look at the source of the warmth and softness and came face-to-face with my wife.

Looked like during the night, we had both moved and now, Bella was pinned to my side with my one of my arms encircling her tiny waist. Her face was turned to the opposite side, with her pink lips slightly parted. Her hair was lying in waves on my forearm.

She looked so fucking beautiful, that I wanted to kiss her silly. But then I took in her dress. She had come to bed wearing a short sleeved t-shirt and pajama pants. Now, her shirt had ridden up a few inches, allowing me a peek of her flat and white stomach. From the sight of her, I knew kissing her right now would be a bad idea for my mission to take it slow.

So I carefully got out of the bed and walked painfully— because of my Bella-radar containing soldier, was already saluting her— to the bathroom. There I didn't dare to jerk off to relieve myself of the tension, in fear of Bella hearing me and thinking of me as a gross, horny man. I did the only other thing I could do in my situation— I took an ice cold shower.

When I had seen Bella again at breakfast, all my hard work went out of the window. I ran my hand through my already messy hair and wondered. "_How long would_ 'taking it slow' _take? I don't think holding on is an option for much longer, if she continues to look so… delectable!_"

**BPOV**

Wednesday night, Edward had been called into a clinical meeting for a man who needed emergency surgery, but the resident neurosurgeon was not sure if the patient would survive the procedure. So I was left to have dinner of a Chicken Roll and my usual latte with the Hale twins on either side of me. Hey don't judge me for the latte at night; I still had to endure Mallory and Stanley for another 14 hours!

It was Rosalie who first started the conversation. "B, how's the Cullen parents?"

I looked at her in confusion and replied, "Rose, you met them both before. You know they are nice people. Why do you ask?"

She hesitated a few seconds before spilling her guts. "Emmett invited me to have brunch with them, this Friday. I have an evening shift, so I said I'll go. Do you think it's gonna be weird?" I could hear her sounding a bit nervous and patted her hand lightly.

"Rose," I said, "You are Rosalie Hale. You made boys cry on a regular basis, until meeting Emmett, a few days ago. Don't be nervous about the brunch. It's just a family brunch. Edward and I are going to be there as well."

Jasper, who had been listening in silence jutted in. "I'll be there too. Edward invited me there." I smiled at him feeling a bit grateful to Edward for including Jazz in the family thing. He and Rose were like family to me.

I then turned my attention to Rose once more. "See, even Jazz is gonna be there. Chill out, Rosie, I'll be your lady knight in aluminum foil, if you need saving." Rose and Jasper laughed at my joke and the nerves seemed to ease off Rose after that.

A few minutes later, Jasper's phone rang and he almost jumped out of his skin in his hurry to take the call. We both looked at him suspiciously, but the dork quickly got up to sit at a different table, away from the two eavesdroppers— Rose and me.

Rose quickly seized the opportunity and asked me, "_So_, how's life with the good doctor?"

I grimaced and replied, "It had been okay till now. No more drooling incidents so far. But now that his parents are here, the atmosphere has gotten a bit strained. I don't like pretending to be something I'm not. You know that about me. We didn't want anyone prying into our personal lives and that's why we decided to put up a front of being the happy couple. But now, it feels wrong— like we're deceiving them."

Rosalie looked at me thoughtfully, before asking, "Are you sure it's _them_ you're deceiving?"

I frowned at the question. "What does that even mean, Rose?"

She smiled knowingly at me and replied, "That means, I'm not blind, B. I see the way you look at the man. I have also seen the way he has followed you to our circle of friends. He looks so intently at you sometimes! I even noticed the fact that he smiles when you smile… without even knowing why you're smiling— simply the fact that you are smiling, is enough to make him smile. Do you think he invited Jazz there so that he could flirt with Alice? No, he invited him, because he knew it would make you happy to have your friends with you. The guy seems crazy about you, B. And frankly, you look like a naked baby with wings has poked you with an arrow, as well. So, are you deceiving yourselves by denying the fact that you're both falling for each other?"

I scoffed at her theory and said in a determined tone, "No, Rosalie. I don't even know the guy properly, for God's sakes! How can I fall for a stranger? It's all in your head. _Cupid_ is not flying around me or him. Maybe you should take a look at yourself, buddy, you're the love-sick one in here." With that I turned back to my food, ignoring Rose's goofily smiling face and head shake.

While I sat at my post in the ward, going through a patient's file, Rosalie's words came back to my mind. I immediately shook my head to get rid of such notions._ We haven't even known each other for a month yet! There's no way I can be falling for him… right?_

**A/N: What do you think, guys? Is cupid flying around them? ;-)**

**I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Let me know your thoughts and leave a review, please?**

**Take care.**

**Ann**


	26. Chapter 26: Lonely Beds and Miserable He

**Disclaimer: No copyrights infringement intended. I don't own Twilight saga or any of its awesome characters.**

**A/N: Thanks to everyone who has reviewed, favorited, put on alert or simply... read OTC. You guys make my days a little bit brighter. Thank you.**

**Enjoy Chapter-26 and I'll see you at the end of this chapter with a long-ass but important A/N! :-)**

**Chapter-26: Lonely Beds and Miserable Hearts**

**EPOV**

Friday morning, when I woke up after the gruesome shift at the hospital, I was again met with the face of the beautiful woman who was my wife. That morning after waking up, I didn't run away to the bathroom. No, I lay there for a while, taking in her face. My Bella was beautiful in every moment. Even in her sleep, I could see the slight frown line in her forehead, her rapid eye movement telling me that she was dreaming.

Her lips—the very ones I had kissed and wanted to kiss forever—were pulled into a little pout. Even with the small wet patch on the pillow near her mouth, she still looked adorable to me.

I was in awe of this girl—no, let me reword—I was in awe of this woman. My wife was definitely a woman. The night we met, she was sex personified; the day of our wedding, she was so shy and just my beautiful blushing bride; the first day at work, she was the fire breathing dragon from the fables; the day when she thought I was cheating on her, she was the green-eyed monster of jealousy; that Friday night when she said she wanted me, she was the definition of my one and only wet dream. Last night after work, she was the understanding friend who had offered me a smile and told me all my hard work was for saving peoples' lives, making me feel worth something.

All these facets made up Isabella, my wife, my Bellarina. I didn't know what was going to happen in the future, but somehow, I couldn't imagine mine without her smiling face beside me.

I must've lain there, gawking at my sleeping beauty for longer than I expected, when she started to move. It suddenly hit me like a ton of bricks that no matter what our legal status was, we were still basically strangers, and me staring at her, when she was sleeping, was not only stalker-ish but was probably bordering on creepy.

I quickly got off the bed and went to shower and get ready for the brunch with my family. The brunch was Bella's idea. The way she accepted my family whole-heartedly, withstanding their somewhat intrusive attitude, made me grateful toward her.

Last night, on our way back from the hospital, Bella had asked me why I had invited Jasper along—no wonder thinking it was a way for me to repay her for tolerating my family's intrusion. When I had told her I invited him because he was becoming a friend, she had smiled. But as she turned her head to look out the window, I swear, I could detect a shadow of dejection passing over her face.

_What was with that? Should I have told her that I wanted to know the people in her life so that I could understand her better? No, I should probably keep that to myself, for now._

**BPOV**

Friday morning when I woke up, I saw that Edward was not in bed and judging by the sound of water hitting the tiles, I gathered he was already in the shower. I slowly looked at myself and saw that somehow, I had again ended up in the middle of the bed. _Why the fuck do I always do that?_ It's like Edward was the opposite pole of a magnet, always attracting me to get near him.

I wanted to lie in there and inhale the honey and sunshine smell that always seemed to saturate Edward's room, but my stupid brain reminded me of the brunch I had proposed to have in honor of Carlisle and Esme's visit.

_The brunch! Oh, crap! I need to get ready, pronto._

I rushed off towards my own room. I quickly showered, trying very hard not to imagine the Adonis-like man I had married was possibly wet and naked in the bathroom next door.

After shower, I raided my closet for the clothes Alice had purchased for me before the wedding. "_Probably should wear a dress other than my old hoodie and skinny jeans today. There's no harm in trying to impress the in-laws._" I justified to myself, but in my mind, I knew that was not true. I wanted to impress someone even more… someone with green eyes and bronze hair.

I found a green sundress in there that immediately caught my attention. The reason behind my choosing the dress should have been to make Alice happy and Rose proud of seeing me dress myself in somewhat fashionably, like always.

But today, if I was being true to myself, the reason I chose the dress was that the green of the dress, instantly reminded me of a pair of emerald green eyes. _So not something to think about before meeting the in-laws for brunch while the said green-eyed man could still be naked in the next room!_

I shook myself out of the fantasy world and quickly dressed myself—pairing off the dress with a wide black belt and green ballet flats. I grabbed my black purse and went out of the room to look for Edward.

I found Edward sprawled on the living room couch, with a book in his hand. As he heard my footsteps, he looked up, making my steps falter and then come to a stop.

Edward was wearing a dark green button down shirt with black jeans. He was so handsome in that simple ensemble that I wanted to cry. _Oh for fuck's sake, Swan! He could wear a potato sack and you'd still think him pretty._ I shushed my inner bitch and just looked at the beautiful man before me.

He stared at me for a few moments before standing up and walking toward me. When he reached me, he raised his hand and tucked a stray lock of my hair behind my ear. As he moved his finger, his touch felt like a caress on my earlobe, making me blush like a red tomato. _What a surprise!_

He chuckled at my blush and whispered, as if talking aloud would break a spell, "You look beautiful, Bella. And we match, by the way." His teasing voice made me look closely on our outfits and I had to agree. We indeed looked like we had planned to wear matching clothing.

In order to hide my flaming cheeks, I ribbed him slightly with my left elbow and asked, "Is this your way of fishing for a compliment, Mister? First you tell me I look beautiful and then remark that we match. Sounds like, someone wants his big ego to be inflated just a little bit."

He smirked at me. "Guilty as charged, Mrs. Cullen." Then he offered me his arm and asked, "Shall we, Bellarina?"

I teased him back and took his arm saying, "We shall, Mase." He made a face at the name, but led me to the front door.

The drive to the Café opposite to the Seminar Hall was filled with our gentle playful banter and classical piano concerto playing in the sound system. And dare I say it? I was enjoying my time with Edward, a lot.

**-OTC-**

Our brunch was a lively one. We had so much fun seeing Emmett sweat when introducing Rosalie to his uncle and aunt, as his girlfriend. Rose raised an eyebrow at him and asked haughtily, "What gave you that idea, Cullen?" Emmett's eyes were the size of tennis balls when he started stammering, trying to articulate a reply.

Me, being the one with laughing gas filled lungs, burst out with laughter and Rose let go of her faux irritation and pulled Em in a hug. I let out a small sigh at the sight of them, hoping I could have such a relationship—with Edward.

When this thought hit me, I was stunned, I no longer wished for a relationship alone. No, any relationship I wanted would have to be with Edward. _That man has me obsessed. He's so not good for my mental health!_

As I was still getting hold of my thoughts, I felt Edward take my hand under the table and give it a small squeeze._ Maybe he is feeling these things too. Maybe there was hope for us after all!_

Having Alice with us was another shocking experience. She was not like the over-the-top chirpy girl I had met a few weeks back. She was different. She was calmer, a lot more understanding to others feelings.

If I thought I liked Alice before, I absolutely loved her, now. Seeing her sneaking glances with Jasper, made me suspect that he had a role behind her change. _I think she finally gets what it was like for Edward and me, to be thrown suddenly together, without an official meeting at first._

When Alice's move to Seattle came up, both Edward and Emmett went into big brother mode and vehemently opposed the idea of Alice moving in with Rose and Jazz, in my old place. Finally, Rose proposed the alternative that Alice can take the flat above them, for the time being, which seemed to pacify all the Cullen men. _Overprotective much?_

**-OTC-**

On Saturday morning, Edward and I said our goodbyes to Carlisle and Esme, knowing that they'll be gone, by the time we got back home. Carlisle shook my hand and told me not to worry about my father, since he was there to keep his cholesterol levels in check now. I laughed at his knowledge of Charlie's love for all things greasy.

Esme drew me in a motherly hug and whispered in a low voice, so that her son and husband couldn't hear us from across the room, "Bella dear, I can't tell you how good it feels to see you two together. You are made for each other, sweetheart. I can already see how good you are for him. I can only hope that he makes you just as happy as well."

I didn't know what to tell her. I couldn't say the words I had planned to tell her a few mornings back, because knowing my luck, I would end up hurting her feelings. And no matter what, Esme Cullen was someone I never wanted to hurt.

So I thought back to the new friendship Edward and I had forged and smiled shyly at her. "He does, Esme. We're still getting to know each other you know?"

She smiled back and kissed my cheek. "I know, sweetheart, all great love stories are based on friendship. Just trust your heart and each other. As long as you have each other, you'll be okay." I simply nodded, not wanting to go into a discussion about love with Edward's mother. _But if you asked me, I was still scared shitless about the idea of love!_

**-OTC-**

Saturday at work was just like any regular day at the hospital. We worked; I counseled the patients and the attendants of recently admitted patients and also the ones getting released. It was tiring, but in the end, it was a rewarding day, as well.

The little boy, who had been admitted about a week ago, with serious injury, was released and before leaving, he gave me a kiss on my cheek. Such a small and sweet gesture, but that was what drew me into clinical pharmacy. I could interact with my patients. The satisfaction of seeing the effect you have on one person's life could be such a confidence booster!

During lunch break, my good mood evaporated. I was already feeling a bit sad, when Rose asked me if the Cullens were going back that day—reminding me of the fact that the house would be emptier than it had been for the last few days.

But what made me mope-y and wanting to tear Dr. Wood's stupid little ponytailed head off, was the fact that Edward couldn't make it to lunch with us. Now, I'm sure you're wondering what the fuck Wood had to do with this. Well, let me explain it to you. When your husband was being detained from having lunch with you, because some pathetic moron was fucking incompetent at his job, you'd pretty much want to kill that sorry-ass SOB too.

Wood had made another wrong diagnosis of a patient—this time an old guy, with super rich children, resulting in those said über rich children threatening to sue the hospital for incompetent patient care. So Edward, being the selfless jackass he was, had offered to take responsibility of checking the old man over and he was out running MRI scans himself, as I sat moping over him.

Don't think I did not admire his compassion for his patients. I did, but I wanted to be able to ogle him, while he sat beside me and talked to Jasper, damn it!

Rose picked up on my whiney attitude and poked my side. "Hey, B, what's wrong? Are you making the long face because some skinny-ass doctor is not sitting beside you?"

I should've ignored her, I should've asked her who she was talking about, giving her a puzzled look, or I should've just acted as if I couldn't hear what she was saying over the babble of the crowded cafeteria.

But, being the stupid ass I was, I took the bait and gave her a scathing look saying, "Edward's not a skinny-ass, Rose. You know, not everyone's a huge fucking mountain of muscle like your boyfriend. Maybe he's a little less muscular but that doesn't mean he's not sexy as fuck."

As soon as the words left my mouth, I slapped a hand over my lips, trying to prevent anymore inappropriate words from getting out. But the damage was done. Rosalie gave me a satisfied smile and said, "Sorry for bitching about the hubby, Bell. Now that you've accepted the fact that you're attracted to him (to put it mildly), why don't you ask him out? Go for a drink after work, tonight."

I blushed and then went into bitch-mode. "Rosalie Lillian Hale, if you ever—and I mean EVER—breathe a word of what just I said, you'd wish you had never been born!"

Rose being Rose, completely disregarded my _very_ serious threat and kept looking at me expectantly. I sighed and replied to her question, "Rose, I've already made a fool of myself. He has to make the first move, this time. I can't handle being embarrassed or rejected anymore. This… thing… between us is already quite awkward. Yes, we've started being friends. But that is all there is. He hasn't even kissed me in a while… the most physical contact we get, is the random hug during goodnight wishes. That's not enough for me to ask him out. What if… he agrees and then we find out that there's no future for us. What if he thinks we're incompatible?"

Rose looked scandalized at my self-pity and then burst out in a whispered hissy fit. "Isabella Marie Swan, I have known you all my life and never had I seen you as an idiot or a coward. You are _Bella Swan_. You say '_fuck it'_ to the bitches at high school who ragged on your casual dress up, all the time. You are the girl who came up with the brilliant idea of stealing Royce King's pants from under the stall, during prom, after he made a bet on me. You are the girl who thwarts Newton's pathetic excuse for flirting with a no-nonsense manner, every-fucking-day. How can you be scared, now?"

I shook my head. "No, Rose, I am still that brat, but it's different this time. _He's_ different. I don't want to lose our friendship and go back to the awkwardness of the beginning. I am going to take whatever I can get at this point."

Rose sighed at my stubbornness and said, "Alright, B. I can't force you. I already told you that you should've fought your parents with this wedding. But I am not gonna be like that. I can advise you but I can't dictate your actions. If it's what your heart wants, the words will get out of your mouth—sooner or later. I should head back to work. Victoria just paged me. Catch ya later."

With a wave at me, she left, making me feel even more broody. I stood up and was about to leave the cafeteria when, on an impulse, I went back and bought a Beef Sandwich for Edward.

The smile he gave me, when I handed him his lunch, and the vigor with which he devoured it, made all those miserable feeling go away—just like that.

**-OTC-**

That night, after finishing up our dinner, I decided to broach another subject that had been on the back of my mind from the moment we waved goodbyes to Carlisle and Esme, in the morning. I stopped midway through the staircase and said, "Uhh… I-I should probably move my things… back to my room. Now that your parents are not here, you don't need me taking up all your space."

Edward looked stunned, as if the thought hadn't even crossed his mind. He blinked at me before saying in a low voice, "You're not taking up all my space, Bella. My room is pretty big for one person."

Now I was confused. _What does he mean by that? Does he not want me to move back to the other room?_ A sudden burst of hope intruded my mind, but I quickly wiped out all such thoughts and decided to pretend not to understand. So I asked him innocently, "What was that?" _Please ask me to stay with you. Please, Edward, please._

Edward looked down, opened his mouth, closed it and opened it again, before saying, "Nothing. I am sure you need your own personal space. I will… help you with the move."

I was so sure I could detect a hint of sadness in his voice, but that couldn't be possible, right? I nodded my acceptance to his offer to help and soon, all my stuff were back in the places where they had been before. With a soft whisper of "sleep well, Bella," Edward left me standing at the door of my room.

I sighed and got ready for sleep.

However, it looked like sleep was not in friendly terms with me, that night. I tossed and turned, creating a mess of the bed sheets around my ankles, but in vain. Suddenly, my bed was too cold for me… too soft, without Edward's hot and hard body beside me. _I was losing my mind… surely, right?_

**EPOV**

Saturday night was the longest night of my life, I was sure of it. When Bella said that she was going to shift her stuff from my room to her _temporary_ room, I was dumbfounded. I didn't know what I had been hoping for… Bella saying that she couldn't stay away from me?—_I wish…_ Bella not moving away from me and continuing to sleep in my bed?—_Possibly_.

But since I was being a gentleman and not a Neanderthal, I couldn't simply yell '_mine_' and haul Bella up on my shoulder, before carrying her off to my room. Nope, instead, I helped her to carry her stuff back. _Yeah, I was a gentleman fucker!_

Now as I laid in my bed, cold and too big for my lonesome, I couldn't help but think back to the conversation I had with my father, that morning.

_Carlisle held on to my shoulder and asked me in a low voice, so that my mom and Bella couldn't hear him, "Son, are you happy? With Bella, I mean. It is clear, to anyone with eyesight, that she's taking good care of you. But does she make you happy?"_

_I couldn't help but let the bitterness slip in my voice, "What does it matter _now_, Dad? You guys decided I needed a wife, and so you got me married—without even arranging a meeting first. You're lucky the girl turned out to be Bella. Yeah, she makes me happy. We're happy. We've established a friendship. And it's good to be home after a long day of work and not be alone. But I don't know how to make it _more_, Dad." I could hear the helplessness in my voice by the end._

_My father squeezed my shoulder with his hand and said, "Edward, I can already see that you feel more than friendship for her. And the way I have seen her treat you, in the past few days, I think she feels the same way. I know we have already imposed on your relationship enough. So all I can do is advice, and my advice to you, is to take her out. Make her feel like she's more than your friend. Girls like that sort of thing. Even after all these years, I still take your mother out once a month, because it strengthens the bond between the two of us."_

I had nodded and said that I would consider the advice and that was the end of our conversation.

_Maybe that's what I should do. What should Bella like to do on a date? Would she like to be wined and dined in a plush restaurant or would she prefer going to a burger joint for greasy sandwiches and chocolate shakes?_ With all those thoughts of planning for a date for Bella and I, sleep finally claimed me.

**-OTC-**

Sunday morning found me looking like a zombie, strolling about the house, feeling restless with the thoughts of the previous night still going through my mind. When I heard a sound coming from the general area of the kitchen, I wandered over there. The sight that greeted me, made me almost cuss out loud and at the same time feel like it was a good morning indeed.

The refrigerator was ajar with Bella's head inside it. She was picking up stuff and then making a grumbling sound, before setting them down again. The part of Bella that drew the attention of both of my heads was the perfectly round ass, protruding out of the refrigerator. It was swaying with her movements, making me feel like a small boy with an ice cream dangling in front of his face. _I so want a bite of that ice cream!_

I was getting hard, just imagining a day when Bella would be in this very kitchen, in that same position and I could simply walk up to her, and press myself to her delectable ass, making her feel exactly what she was doing to me. _That day will come—no matter what I have to do, because a life without Bella was becoming less and less imaginable, with each day._

Bella must've heard my footsteps, because she straightened up and looked at me with a smile on her beautiful face, "Good morning, Edward."

I was suddenly aware of the condition I had going on in my pants. I quickly moved to sit down on a chair, so that I wouldn't scare Bella off with my overzealous dick saluting her. Once I was sure she couldn't see me beyond the waist, I mumbled a greeting to her—my voice sounding hoarse.

"_Fuck, Cullen, if she sees you with a boner and then you ask her out, she'll just think you want in her pants. Bella deserves more than that. She deserves the world. You're a lucky bastard that she's still with your sorry ass. Don't blow this up."_ I mentally chided myself for my lack of self control.

Bella looked at me strangely before shrugging, and going back to rummaging through the refrigerator. I got up and tried to help her, _tried _being the operative word, because I was a useless piece of shit in kitchen.

Since I had read the manual that came with the coffee maker, I knew the basic mechanism of coffee making. So I offered to get the coffee started, receiving a grateful smile from Bella.

Breakfast was a bit tense, with Bella, hiding behind the hair that hung like a curtain before her face and me, being preoccupied with the ideas of how to ask her out. When Bella stood up from the table, I started with alarm before realizing that we needed to get a move on, if we wanted to get to work on time. _My first attempt at asking her out after breakfast goes out the window!_

**-OTC-**

All throughout the day, I missed several opportunities of asking Bella out. There was the moment when we were alone in the ward, with just the patients, before a bratty little kid, who had come to visit his uncle and wanted to sit in my lap, and I, being the stupid piece of shit, let him. And before I knew it, hot liquid was streaming down the front of my scrub pants, making me rush to the changing room, for the spare set in my locker!_ That little fucker!_

Then there was the moment when I was about to do it, ignoring the fact that Rosalie and Jasper were sitting in the same table for lunch, when Doctors Marks and Cheney, decided to join our table for lunch. _Bring the whole fucking team while you're at it, why don't you?_

After lunch, I was determined that enough was enough, and paged Bella to bring some prescriptions up to my office to check the dosage regimen again, before sending them to the pharmacy for dispensing.

Bella had just sat down and I was about to collect my guts and lay it all out at her feet when there was a knock on the door, followed by the voices of the Chief, Dr. Farrell and Dr. Volturi. That foiled my plan up nice and good and I had to take a glance (that I had already given the said documents) at the prescriptions before giving Bella the '_go ahead'_.

My frustrations with all these failed attempts must have shown on my face, because Bella gave me questioning look before leaving the room. The Chief saw Bella in my room and was off stating all the fine qualities she had. Volturi joined in with him, praising the fact that with Bella's grades, she could have enrolled in any medical and pharmaceutical schools in the country, but she chose U-Dub.

I wanted to curse them and say that the _brilliant girl_ they were praising was my wife and I knew just how amazing she was. They didn't know her personally, and if they did they'd have never intruded on our moment like that. But I couldn't, because I respected Bella's wish to keep our relationship, or partnership as it was right now, to ourselves for the time being.

Instead, I sat on my butt, listening to those old fuckers go on and on about all the fucking things that was happening at the hospital. When they had left my office, about an hour later, I sought Bella out. Only to find that she was busy with counseling the patients that were about to be released by the end of the shift and all I could think of was- _fuck my life!_

**-OTC-**

By the time Bella had freshened up and descended to the living room, I was at the end of my line of tolerance. I was pacing like a maniac and tugging at my hair a little too roughly, but I was beyond controllable, by that point.

Bella's voice snapped the last thread of control I had, after the fucked up day I had had. "Hey, you okay? You seemed tensed all day." I quickly went to her and grabbed her hand before leading her to sit down on one of the dining chairs.

After Bella had sat down, I started my rant, having no idea what the fuck was coming out of my mouth anymore. "No, I am not okay. I have been gathering courage to do this for the last few weeks. But something always fucks it up for me. I am not chickening out anymore. First my parents decide to visit, then I get peed on, then those fuckers join us for lunch and then those old fucktards come to gossip with me. Well, I couldn't ask you out with pee on me. But now, I don't … so I can ask you out."

Bella looked stunned at my verbal diarrhea and then gulped before whispering, "Are you? Asking me out, I mean?" I wanted to kick my own ass, because in my ranting I had completely skipped the actual asking out part!

"Yes. Bella, I like you, a lot. I have already told you what I wish we had from the start. Even if our start was unconventional, I still want to do it all. We have gone through the friendship phase already. So now, I am asking you out on a date. Please say yes, Bella. Let me show you how good we can be together." I was pleading to her, but it didn't matter to me, as long as she said yes to the date.

Bella looked down at our joined hands, and a blush started to blossom throughout her cheeks and neck. _I am so going to find out how far it goes one day!_

She bit her lower lip, before flipping her hand and entwining our fingers together. Then, she looked up at me and said, "I like you too, Edward, more than I thought I could. I have already told you, I want to give _us_ a chance. So, yes, Edward Cullen, I will go out on a date with you."

I finally let out the breath I didn't even notice I was holding, and smiled cheekily at her. "In that case, are you free tomorrow evening? Say around 8?"

She shook her head at my smugness and smiled back. "I say, you've got yourself a date, Dr. Cullen."

_Maybe everything was going to be okay. Maybe I can get Bella to fall for me, with time. Now all I need is a plan. Where can I take her out on a date?_

**A/N: I can hear you all shouting 'FINALLY!' and I am right there with you! :D**

**Now about the important stuff.**

**Well, as you know I am new to writing and I am trying to broaden my horizon, so to speak. So, I have decided to try writing something other than fluff and entered in a sci-fi contest. It's an anonymous one, so I cannot tell you which one is mine. All I can do is, provide you with the link and hope you will give the stories a try. The voting starts on the 23****rd**** of May, so if you like any of the entries, make sure you vote for it! Here's the link to the contest's page:**

** www . fanfiction u / 5567567 / twiscififantasycontest**

**(Be sure to take out the spaces)**

**Secondly, I cannot let go of fluff. So I have decided to donate a future-take to my one-shot '****_Change My Mind_****' (Thanks to m0t0b33 for helping me decide. *hugs for you sis*!) to The Fandom Gives. The future-take is called '****_Phases of Change'_****. It's full of cuteness and lemony goodness! ;)**

**I will get the summary out to you shortly.**

**If you want to donate, here's the link to the page:**

** www . fandomgives . info /**

**(Be sure to take out the spaces)**

**Thirdly, I am donating another one-shot to the Fandom for Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. The story is still under construction, but I can say that it's going to be emotionally-charged and regency themed. See, I am branching out! :D**

**I will let you know more about it when I finish writing it. And this one, if you love it enough, I might expand to a full-length story, after I am done with OTC. :)**

**If you want to donate, here's the link to their page:**

** fandom4lls . blogspot **

**(Be sure to take out the spaces)**

**Now that my rant is over, I am going to take a nap and then tackle chapter-27.**

**Take care.**

**Ann**


	27. Chapter 27: Who Said First Dates Should

**Disclaimer: No copyrights infringement intended. I don't own Twilight saga or any of its awesome characters. However, I do own 14 different shades of blue eyeliners! :D**

**A/N: Thanks to everyone who has reviewed, favorited, put on alert or simply... read OTC. You guys make my days a little bit brighter. Thank you. **

**Enjoy Chapter-27 and I'll see you at the end of this chapter! :-)**

**Chapter-27: Who Said First Dates Should Be Awkward?**

**BPOV**

I surreptitiously closed my door before running to my bed and burying my head in the pillow then, like a giggling school-girl who had just been asked out by the jock leader, I screamed with excitement! I was fucking screaming and I didn't give a fuck. Because I may not be a giggling school girl, but I had just been asked on my first date… by Edward. Edward may not be a jock in high school, but he really was the sexiest man I knew.

After I had gotten myself under control, I went to the bathroom to get ready for bed. Just as I was slipping under the covers, my brain posed the million dollar question, "_What the fuck am I going to wear tomorrow? Will it be an elegant date or a casual one? Oh shit, shit… shit… SHIT! How am I going to get ready by 8 after work?_"

I got out of bed and ran to the closet to find something suitable to wear for the next night. As I was going through all my dresses, I started cursing myself for not buying dressy clothes more often. All the dresses I owned seemed either boring or too Martha Stewart- style. _Fucking idiot, Bella! I swear, if tomorrow goes smoothly I'll go buy some sexy and dressy clothes at the first chance I get!_

Just as I had resigned my hopes of finding the perfect dress in my minimal possessions, something caught my eye. It was a dress… nope; it was _the_ dress — the one I had been looking for!

The dress was royal blue with short white sleeves and white trimmings on the skirt. It had a high neck with slightly vee-neckline in the front that will give a hint of my cleavage without looking too slutty. The length of the dress was perfect as well — not too long, not too short as to show my panties — it stopped about three inches before my knee, allowing a look at my legs. I was surprised to find such a dress there but then I noticed the French tags on it meaning, Alice. _Sometimes that girl is a blessing!_

Praising Alice's choice of wardrobe for me, I put the dress back in its place and started for my bed. However before I could reach the bed, I remembered — _shoes, damn it!_ I had to figure out which shoes will be best for the dress.

Again after sorting through all my shoes, I found the blue small-heeled peep-toe shoes Rose had made me buy on our last shopping trip. Looking at the shoes and the dress together, I figured it wouldn't be too casual or too dressy. _Just… perfect!_

Finally, as I was about to fall asleep, my mind started saying something that sounded like accessories; but I decided to ignore it — for now.

**-OTC-**

Monday morning, the first conscious thought that crossed my mind was that, "_I had a date- with Edward Cullen! Whoa!"_

After getting my school-girl like swooning under control, I decided to head down for breakfast. But Edward had already beaten me there. When I descended the stairs, I saw him bustling around the dining table putting two bowls, milk carton and our cereal boxes on the table.

I stepped into the kitchen and couldn't help but tease him, "Morning, Edward. Working in the kitchen today? Is somebody in a good mood this morning?"

He gave me his crooked smile and replied, "Good morning to you too, Bellarina. I'm definitely in a good mood today. You see, it's not every day I get to ask my beautiful wife out." I, being the human-cherry, blushed at his flirty remark.

Edward smirked at my blush before holding out a mug of coffee for me, "May I interest you in some caffeine this morning, Mrs. Cullen?" I looked at him from under my eyelashes and the accepted the mug with a murmur of '_thanks_.' I brushed past him and went to start his tea.

When he saw what I was doing, he gave me such an adorable smile that I felt like I'd melt into a puddle of Bella.

**-OTC-**

"Someone's in a good mood this morning. Wake up in the right side of the bed today, Swan? Or should I say in the _right bed_?" Rosalie's sing-song voice and dancing eyebrows couldn't dampen my spirits that was in an amazing high since the previous night.

I grinned at her and replied, "Nope, nothing to do with a bed, Rosie. It just so happens that this Swan has a date this evening. By the way, you do know that the way you just greeted me is awfully like Emmett. Spending too much time with the Muscle, are we?"

Rose laughed at my name-calling and opened her mouth to say something when my initial words seemed to register on her brain. She looked surprised before a lazy grin spread on her lips. _Oh, shit! Here comes Rose Hale Hailstorm of obnoxiousness!_

"_Finally_! The Rude Adonis asked you out, eh? I was starting to wonder how long he was gonna take to get his stupid head out of his skinny ass." Rose said with twinkling eyes telling me that though she was teasing me, she was happy for me.

"I… may have been too hasty in naming him _Rude_ because as it turns out he's not so rude most of the time. And to answer your question, yes, he did. He wants to take me out tonight. And just to make it clear, his ass is _so not_ skinny!" I winked at her.

Rose burst into laughter, "Been ogling the good doctor's ass lately, Swan?"

I shrugged one shoulder, not needing to tell her about my infatuation with Edward's ass. When I didn't say anything else, Rose continued, "I am so happy for you, Bell. I told you he's into you. So where's he taking you? What are you gonna wear? Do you need me to come over and help you to get ready? Do I need to give him the Guardian speech? You know the one about behaving himself and bringing you back on time?"

I giggled at her line of thinking and then proceeded to answer all her questions sequentially, "Thanks, Ro. I am happy for myself, too. I don't know where he's going to take me. But since he said at 8, so I don't think we'll be going to the movies." She opened her mouth but I held up one hand to stop her and continued, "Nope, I have absolutely no fucking clue as to where we're going. About the dress, I already picked out one that will be okay in both casual and formal settings."

Again Rose tried to say something but if she knew me, I knew her like the back of my hand as well and I plowed on, "Don't worry, I won't wear converse with a dress. I learned my lesson in high school when you burnt my black converse after that prom night. I have heels picked out to wear with it. I want to do this by myself. I want to look good for him by myself. I hope you don't' mind, Rose. And, no, you don't need to give him the whole speech."

Rose smiled, "I get it, Bell. I am so happy that you're taking a chance on this relationship. You deserve to do this on your own. I won't interfere in your relationship… nor would I let anyone else interfere." After a few beats, she tried to lighten the mood by saying, "By the way, that was a good prom, remember? We were each other's girl-dates. I do hope this time your date ends differently though — don't want to be the one to bail you out for stealing men's pants this time."

I pouted and snarked back, "Hey, don't rain on my thieving skills. Besides, that was _one_ guy's pants. And Royce deserved it. In fact, for you, I would steal a thousand guy's pants and not be the least bit sorry. Besides, I didn't get caught. So no bailing was required, thank you very much."

By the end of my rant, we were both laughing loudly. After I could get my breathing under control, I added as a second thought, "You know what? You can give him the big brother speech if you want. After all, it _is_ my official first date… ever."

With the wicked gleam in Rose's eyes, I was suddenly desperate to see Edward's expression after her speech.

**EPOV**

Though I had acted all cool, calm and collected in front of Bella in the morning, in my head I was screaming for the perfect date activity. I had absolutely no clue as to where to take her. I had only taken Tanya out on dates and those were in high school, to simple movies or burger joints… not that she ate any burgers — nope, she was a salad eater. "_My Bella was a burger and shakes kind of girl, just like me."_ I smiled at the thought. "_Yes, she was _MY Bella_ and if everything went according to the plan, I will make her fall for me, she will be mine in every sense of the word… soon."_

I was walking towards the Nurses' Station when I noticed Jasper standing there looking through some papers. Inspiration struck, and I quickly walked up to him and thumped his shoulder lightly. "Dr. Hale, can you come to my office for a few minutes? I need your help with a consultation."

Jasper scrunched up his eyebrows in confusion, but nodded and followed me to my office. I closed the door behind me before sitting down in my chair and motioning him towards another.

After he had sat down, I blurted out, "Jasper, I asked Bella out. I am taking her out on a date, tonight."

Jasper grinned at me and said, "Good for you, Dude! Are you asking for my blessing as her pseudo-brother?" I gritted my teeth at his drawl and shook my head in exasperation.

"No, I am not asking for your blessing. What I am asking for is any idea you may have about where Bella would like to go for a date." I could hear the desperation in my voice.

Jasper thought for a moment before saying, "Well, I don't know much about Bella's dating history; heck I don't even know if she had ever gone on dates. But you should keep it simple. I know Bella like my own sister. I know she's not a complicated person. She finds happiness in very simple things in life. So all I can suggest is take her to dinner and see how she reacts. By the way, she has a soft spot for Italian cuisine. Good luck, Man."

I nodded in thanks before he got paged and left me to my thoughts._ Italian sounds good. Now how many Italian places were in Seattle?_

**-OTC-**

By the lunch hour, I had already narrowed down my searches for date night dinner places from google to three restaurants. I had also decided to bring out my favorite ride to take Bella out. With all these thoughts running through my head, I didn't notice the empty seat at our lunch table at first. When I felt the absence of Bella's warmth beside me, I looked around and found Rosalie and Jasper in the table with no Bella.

I opened my mouth to ask Rosalie about Bella, but she beat me to it, "She's busy with training a new intern from cardio department." I sighed in frustration at missing her but Rosalie wasn't finished with her talking, "In the mean time, Cullen, you and I need to talk."

The way she said those words made me anxious and I mumbled, "We do?" That woman had scared the hell out of me with her threats during our wedding reception.

This time she nodded and started talking in a business-like manner. "Listen up, Cullen, you've already been an ass — _twice —_ to my girl. But she's giving you a chance again. This time, don't blow it. I don't care if you fucking run to the continent of fucking Antarctica but if you hurt her in _any_ way — physical or emotional — I will hunt you down, and I will rip you into such tiny pieces that not even you will recognize yourself. Am I clear?"

I gulped and stammered in some garbled language. She looked satisfied with my response and stood up from the table. I turned to look at Jasper and found him barely containing the glee at my life-threatening condition. _That fucker!_

**BPOV**

After my shift was over, I ran out of the hospital like a bat out of hell and met Edward at the car. We were both silent as he drove me to the penthouse. As I was entering the house, Edward cleared his throat, making me look at him. He seemed nervous as he said, "Bella, I need to step out for a few minutes. I will get ready at Emmett's. I'll see you at eight?"

I nodded and said, "Yeah, See you." I didn't know what he needed to do but I was sure he wouldn't ditch me. I don't know why or when, but I had started to trust the man.

**-OTC-**

By 7.45 p.m. I had showered, dressed my hair in a up-do leaving few tendrils framing my face, applied mascara, poked my eyes with the brush several times, put on dark blue eye shadows, applied my lucky blue eyeliner, and to finish it all off applied some dark red lipstick before stepping into my dress. After putting on my heels I had to admit, I looked good.

It was five minutes to eight when the doorbell rang. I quickly finished putting on the dangling white pearl earrings and their matching pearl pendant before going to open the door. I opened the door and looked up at the man standing there and gasped at the sight before me.

If I had thought my husband was a handsome man before, he sure as hell didn't look that now. No, he was more than handsome; he was downright the sexiest man on the face of earth. He wore a dark green button down shirt, with a pair of black jeans, making him look mouth-watering. I snapped my mouth shut lest I should say the words out loud. _No need to boost his already too big ego!_

After a few seconds, I realized Edward hadn't said anything since I had opened the door either. I looked up into his eyes and saw that they had a glazed over look in them. The expression on his face was… hunger. "_Holy shit! Is he looking at me like I am something to eat? Is he hungry for me? There's one way to find that out._"

I dragged my eyes down his chest, heading south but suddenly Edward seemed to realize where my intended landing zone was. And he quickly brought his left hand from his back and held it out for me, efficiently covering the Promised Land. _Damn it!_

There was a beautiful bouquet of daisies in his hand with a single blue orchid in the middle. It was so beautiful, I wanted to cry. But the most beautiful thing in the picture was the hand that was holding the flowers, with a ring on it.

We had both unconsciously started to go out of the house without our wedding bands on. I wanted there to be an '_us_' before we made ourselves public. I guessed Edward either felt the same way or he was respectful of my wishes. In either case I was grateful to him for not putting pressure on me to make my decision.

But tonight, the sight of the ring made me feel deliriously happy because this sexy and handsome man belonged to me and it was in the open, for the whole world to see. Edward seemed to finally get his speech power back and he said, "These are for you, Bellarina. The saleslady told me daisies mean innocence and purity and I could place only you in those two adjectives."

I smiled at him, "And the orchid?"

He smiled softly at me and replied, "It symbolizes beauty. And to me beauty is you. You look beautiful, Bellarina." I blushed at his compliment but for once didn't contradict such a statement. Because he… his gaze… made me _feel_ beautiful.

Instead I said, "Thank you for the flowers, and for the flattery. You look beautiful too, you know." _Fuck! There starts my verbal diarrhea!_

Edward quirked an eyebrow at me and said in a false sardonic tone, "Now, I've been called many things in my life; arrogant, jerk, jackass, shithead being the most common few. But I've never been called beautiful before. It's surprisingly disheartening."

I, of course, flushed a shade of deeper red before stammering my defense, "I-I didn't mean beautiful as beautiful. What I meant was handsome. Yes, you look handsome, Edward." I shut myself up before I could embarrass myself any further and closed my eyes. But then I heard a snicker and opened my eyes to see Edward trying and failing to control his laughter.

I narrowed my eyes at him and said in a fake reprimanding tone, "Urgh! You are so frustrating! Wait a minute. I'll just put the flowers in water and then we can go." There was still mirth in his eyes and he nodded to me.

As I was placing the flower-filled vase on the dining table a thought struck me. _His words held the underlying meaning that he thought I was someone worth caring for. I would show him with my actions that I cared for him too, a lot._ I rushed up the stairs and opened my jewelry box. I took out my wedding band and slipped it in place before going back to him.

Edward offered me his arm and when I placed my left hand in the crook of his arm, he looked down and then gave me an almost blindingly bright smile. His smile brought back those butterflies in my stomach back to life. With a nod of silent appreciation, he closed the door and led me towards the elevator.

In the garage, my eyes fell on a midnight blue sports car standing in the driveway. I huffed and said in a low voice, "Look, some idiot has left his stupid car in the driveway. Now we'll have to wait until he moves the car before we can leave."

Edward gave me a smirk before saying in an offhand manner, "We won't need to wait, because the idiot who own that stupid car is here." I looked around to see no one other than Demitri in the whole parking garage. Edward noticed my confusion and said in a cheery voice, "Bellarina, the idiot you're looking for is me. That's my car."

I shook my head and said, "No, you own a Volvo, remember? This is some vintage looking shit." Edward almost looked wounded at my wording.

He said in his pouty-boy voice, "I own both. And Bella, this car is very special to me. It was a graduation present from my grandparents. So please, can you not call it stupid or shit? It's an Aston Martin Vanquish after all."

I rolled my eyes at his car-loving behavior. _This is what mom calls 'boy and their toys!'_ I shrugged, "Sorry, I don't speak car-and-driver. So, don't mind me calling it names. Now, what is the special car doing here?" I was feeling a bit jealous — of a fucking car! _He should be that possessive about me, damn it, not a fucking car!_

Edward didn't seem to notice my jealousy. Instead, he gave me his crooked smile and replied, "I use this car for special occasions. And I believe taking my wife out on our first date is certainly a special occasion." His smile and words made me feel all gooey inside and all my earlier anger melted away. _How in the world does he do that to me?_

**-OTC-**

As Edward took my hand to lead me out of the car, I had to admit, the stupid bitch was a comfortable car. I allowed him to usher me into the restaurant and found out that he had brought me to an Italian place called** La Bella Italia****_. _**I decided to ignore the fact that the restaurant was my namesake, in a way. After we had been seated I looked around me.

La Bella Italia was a big place with a high ceiling and chandeliers dangling above the tables. On each table top, there was a vase of red roses and a candelabrum with candles. I liked the setting. It was formal without being over the top. And for once in my life, I was proud of my own dressing skills, for not making me feel over or underdressed.

As I was inspecting the other diners, a waitress, with too many buttons undone and too much lip gloss, came up to us. She didn't even spare me a glance and instead, centered all her attentions to Edward. "Welcome to La Bella Italia. I am Nadia and I will be your server this evening. What can I get you, Sir?"

I couldn't help but grimace at the way she was leaning toward Edward making her already somewhat visible boobs almost spill out. Edward, however, didn't even bother look at her. He simply kept his eyes on me and asked in a polite manner, "Bella, what do you think?"

I did know he was referring to the menus we were holding but apparently my inner sarcastic bitch didn't know that. So I spewed out the first thing that came to my mind. "I'm thinking we're in a place that should be called Hooters… or Almost Strippers… or maybe Buttonless. You know, seeing the wait-stuff is a bit… informal in their attires." As soon as the words escaped my mouth, my eyes widened and I felt a blush creeping up my cheeks as I looked down to my lap. _Oh dear God! Why, why did you not give me full control of my verbal filter?_

I could hear the waitress's choking cough at my ribbing, but Edward was totally indifferent as he said, "No, baby, I was asking about your order. What do you want to eat?" _Baby? Oh! He must have noticed the waitress's too friendly ways._ As the light bulb went on my head, for a moment, I considered answering 'you' just to rile up little Ms. Buttonless. But this was our first date and I didn't want any slutty waitresses ruining our night.

So I perused the menu before deciding on Brushettas for appetizers and Mushroom Ravioli for main course. Edward didn't even look at Nadia when he ordered the same choices, except for main, he ordered Chicken Linguine.

After Buttonless had walked away from our table, I heard a snicker and peeked up to see Edward trying to suppress laughter. But the moment our eyes met, we both started laughing softly. When he had gotten his beautiful laughter under control he said, "Oh God, Bella, you were so funny. I wish I could record the look on her face."

I shrugged in an offhand manner before saying, "Buttonless was asking for it." The name cracked Edward up once again and I couldn't help but join in with him. Because his careless smile and the twinkles in his eyes filled me up with a weird sense of happiness.

When Buttonless had brought out our appetizers and asked for drink orders, we both went for soda, not wanting a repetition of the last time I had too much to drink, surely.

All through dinner, our conversation flowed smoothly and even when there were moments of silence, it was never awkward. We laughed, smiled, joked about our friends and families and by the end of dinner, I felt that I was getting to know Edward, finally.

After we had finished with our main courses, Buttonless came out with the dessert menu and offered it to Edward, giving me sly look of defiance. However, Edward refused to order dessert and asked for the check. Now I felt my rising admiration of the man sitting across me deflate somewhat.

_It wasn't that I was hungry. In fact if he had asked me I would've declined the offer for dessert but the thing was that I'd have liked to be asked. How can he act in such a gentlemanly way all through the evening and in the end, act like an all-knowing jerk again?_

Edward was done paying by the time I had worked up my temper. As he led me to the front door of the restaurant, he didn't signal the valet for the car. Instead, he tightened his grip on my hand calling my attention, "I was wondering if you wanted something for dessert, Bellarina."

Since I was still bitter from his presumptuous behavior, I took my hand out of his and let him have it. "Well, if you don't _ask_, you'll always be left wondering. No, I did not want dessert but it would've been nice to be asked anyway."

He gave me a crooked smile and replied, "I'm sorry. I had some other place in mind for dessert. C'mon." With that he grasped my hand once again and started to lead me across the street. I was so exasperated with him that I didn't even consider the idea of protesting.

When he stopped in front of an ice cream parlor, I had another light bulb moment. He wanted to treat me with ice cream! Then my bitchy subconscious reared her ugly head and shook her finger at me. "_And you were accusing him of being a jerk! Now who's the bitch?_" I mentally gave her the finger before grinning at Edward.

His eyes were fixed on me and he looked a bit nervous. But I didn't care about it. This was turning out to be a great first date. So, I threw my arms around him and hugged him, saying, "How did you know I love ice cream? This is perfect! I'm sorry for giving you hell before."

Edward hugged me back and said, "You're forgiven, Bellarina. I had a hunch that you'd like ice cream. Now, let's go." There was relief in his tone which didn't make any sense to me.

But we were in Club Gelato, the ice cream heaven I had found in Seattle. So I let go of all the worrying thoughts and stepped into the shop with Edward.

Afterwards, we were walking back to the car with each clutching our ice creams, already over the little altercation we had only minutes before. I couldn't help but stare secretly at Edward's mouth as he licked his ice cream. I wanted to be that ice cream. _Oh for God's sakes! Now I am jealous of a fucking ice cream? What else is this man going to make me jealous of?_

On the drive back home, we turned on the radio and exchanged comments on the songs playing. It was so easy, like breathing, to be this free with Edward that it was scary.

**-OTC-**

When we had reached our house, we walked hand in hand to the elevator. I saw Demitri giving us a knowing smile, which of course, made me blush thinking he might've had the wrong idea about our next activities.

In the house, Edward didn't let go of my hand until we were standing in the hallway, in between our bedrooms. I felt a bit sad at the ending of the amazing night. Just as Edward was letting go of me, I tightened my grip on his hand and then reached up to kiss his cheek. I whispered against his skin, "Thanks for the amazing first date, Edward. I had a great time."

Edward made a sound that was more like a groan and when I looked into his eyes, I saw them darken with something… unknown to me. I swallowed and was about to ask him if he was okay.

But Edward put one finger on my lips, silencing me and then asked in a voice that made those damn butterflies flutter again, "May I kiss you, Bella?"

I gasped before nodding like a mute. Edward slowly brought both his hands up to cup my face in his palms and then deliberately looked into my eyes. I licked my lips suddenly feeling them dry up. After what felt like years, Edward leaned in and touched my lips with his.

This kiss wasn't like any other we had shared before. Our first kiss was tentative and sweet and the other kisses that we had shared were hot and sexy as fuck, but not like this. This was a new kind of sexy. It was warm and passionate. I could almost feel adored in the way he kissed me.

It seemed like my hands had a mind of their own and had traveled up the distance of his arms to entwine in his crazy sex hair. The locks of hair were so soft and silky that for a brief moment, I thought that having such hair on a guy should be illegal. I must have tugged on his hair a bit which made him groan again. And then the tenor of our kiss changed.

Suddenly, Edward was softly sucking my top lip while inching his tongue into my mouth. It should've felt unhygienic having someone else's tongue in my mouth. But it wasn't someone else — it was Edward and it didn't feel unhygienic — it felt hot and just right. I eagerly touched his tongue with my own which made Edward shudder and hold onto my waist tightly.

After what must have been at least five minutes, I felt like my lungs would explode from the lack of breathing and broke the kiss. I was panting like a freaking dog in heat, but the only consolation was — so was Edward. He was panting as he said, "I have wanted to do that since the moment you opened the door this evening."

I whispered back, "This is the first time you actually asked for my permission." He chuckled at that and leaned in to place a line of soft kisses on my jaw. Somehow, in the haze of lust we had been in, I had become sandwiched between Edward and the wall. I was suddenly hyperaware of the fact that Edward's hard muscled body was pressed up against mine. I could swear I could feel something nudging my thigh slightly._ Wait, is that…?_

I tentatively, _in a totally innocent way_, shifted my leg about an inch and Edward groaned again. And suddenly, his mouth was back on mine, almost devouring my lips. As I tugged on his unruly hair to control the urge to climb him like a fucking tree, Edward let his hands move from their post around my waist.

His hands were slowly moving upwards, over my ribcage before the knuckles brushed the sides of my breasts. Even through all the clothes I had on, I felt that electric zing go through my body. And I moaned — quite loudly. As soon as the sound left my lips, I felt Edward tense up before slowly stopping the kiss.

He let go of my lips, put his hands back to their original place and leaned his forehead on mine. He looked into my eyes and I could still see the hunger in them. He gave me a soft smile before whispering, "What is it about you that evaporates all my control?"

I blushed at the memory of feeling his loss of control against my thigh, and whispered back, "I could ask you the same question. What are you doing to me?"

Edward sighed and kissed my lips in a swift soft kiss and said, "I had fun with you, too, Bellarina. Now go to bed, baby. We have a long day at work tomorrow."

I smiled at the new pet-name he had began calling me by. I always thought your boyfriend calling you 'Baby' was cliché but hearing _Edward_ call _me_ 'Baby' felt like being cherished by this extraordinarily handsome man. And I was actually reveling in the feeling.

After I had managed a glazed-eyed 'goodnight,' Edward motioned towards my door and went inside his room. And I tiptoed down the stairs to bring the vase with my flowers up to put beside my bedside table.

That night, when I was falling asleep, I realized one thing, I didn't know what Edward was doing to me and frankly, all these feeling scared the living shit out of me. But one thing was becoming clear to me, I never wanted this feeling to stop. _Oh, crap! What the fuck is happening to me?_

**A/N: So, that was their perfectly imperfect date. :)**

**Let me know your thoughts and leave a review.**

**The voting for the Twilight Sci-fi Fantasy Contest has begun, if you haven't voted yet, please go and vote. It's my first contest after all. :)**

**Here's the link to the contest page:**

** u/5567567/twiscififantasycontest**

**Take care.**

**Ann**


	28. Chapter-28: The Geek and His Nerd

**Disclaimer: No copyrights infringement intended. I don't own Twilight saga or any of its awesome characters.**

**A/N: Thanks to everyone who has reviewed, favorited, put on alert or simply... read OTC. You guys make my days a little bit brighter. Thank you. Ready for another healthy dose of adorableness?**

**Enjoy Chapter-28 and I'll see you at the end of this chapter! :-)**

**Chapter-28: The Geek and His Nerd**

**EPOV**

"_You fucking idiot, Cullen!_" I kept mentally cursing my lack of self-control after closing my door behind me. The plan was to make Bella fall for me before going down the sex-path. But who'd explain that to my stupid dick?

I could still taste the chocolate ice-cream from Bella's tongue, and mixed with her strawberry smell, it was driving me crazy. I had planned to shower once I got back home, but I could smell Bella's scent on me and that decided it for me—I was going to shower in the morning. _Yes, I am _that_ pathetic._

That night, surrounded by Bella's scent, I dreamed of a time when we'd be sharing the same bed—and not just to sleep.

**-OTC-**

Tuesday morning, I woke up and went downstairs to help Bella out with breakfast. But seeing that she wasn't there yet, I started the coffee for her and pulled out the setting for our milk and cereals breakfast.

I really should've learnt how to make my own tea by now but something about the fact that Bella was making my tea every morning, made my heart beat just a bit faster. It was not about her slaving away in my kitchen—no, it was about being taken care of by Bella.

Since I was going to be waiting for her, I went to the library and brought back a medical journal with me to the table. I was so engrossed in my reading that I almost jumped out of my chair at the sound of the stove being turned on. I looked around with wide eyes and found Bella standing before me, her tinkling laughter filling the room. I gave her a mock look of reproach and said, "Geesh, Bellarina, you startled me!"

Bella smirked at me and asked, "Oh, did I scare you, baby?" _Huh? Did she just call me… she did. Yes, Bella just called me __**Baby**__! It seems like my magic is finally working on her._ During my inner celebration I must've looked pretty gleeful, because Bella asked me, "What are you grinning about?"

I shook my head and said nothing. Just as I was trying to walk into the kitchen to check the coffee, Bella snatched the journal from my hand. _Shit! It was a very old journal. Now she'll think of me as a geek._

Bella studied the front cover and looked up questioningly at me. Before she could say anything, I said, "I know it's an old edition. I was just… flipping the pages, honestly. I'm not a geek or anything."

Bella's lips curved into a beautiful smile and she replied, "I did not say that you're a geek. You don't have to justify your reading habits to me, Edward. Actually, I was about to ask you if I could borrow it. You see I like to read books too. Hell, I even have the whole USP in my kindle. So if you were a geek, then I'd be a nerd, won't I?"

I smiled back at her words and as we sat down to eat, I said, "Bella, you should know though, I really was classified as a geek in high school, maybe even in college too. You probably were in the cool population, right?"

Bella looked at me with shock before swallowing her food and exclaiming, "Nope, nerd all the way. _You_ were a geek though? Really? I thought you'd be… I don't know—jock leader or a frat boy or something, when I first met you!"

I chuckled at her response and shook my head. "Bella, I can't tell you how sorry I am for that behavior. That was all wrong. This is the real me." Bella nodded at me and resumed eating.

After a few minutes, she asked in a timid voice, "Edward? Will you…" She took a deep breath before continuing. "Will you tell me why you acted that way on that night?"

It was my turn to gulp down water and say, "Because I'm an idiot, Bella."

Bella had a confused look on her face as she whispered, "But you seemed so angry at me. You looked at me like I had killed you puppy."

I sighed knowing I had to explain myself this time. I coughed and replied, "I was angry at you, Bella. God! I think I hated you a little too."

She looked at me with disbelief, and I gave a bitter chuckle. "I hated you… for making me want you so badly. I was furious at the fact that just a few days before I was going to marry Isabella, I was getting so attracted to another girl. I didn't have the courage to blame myself, so I chose the coward's way—and blamed it all on you. I blamed you for distracting me, for making me feel guilty of thinking of someone who was not my fiancée."

A sudden laughter bubbled out of Bella's mouth before she started laughing hysterically. I didn't know how my words could've made her laugh like that. Did she not understand me? After a few minutes, she could breathe and managed to choke out, "Oh, this is so damn funny! I hated you too, you know. First, for being a jerk and then, for making me constantly think of you." Now I understood the reason for her mirth and joined in on her laughter.

When I stopped laughing, I said, "What a pair we make, huh, Bellarina?"

Bella smiled at me and replied, "Uh-huh, a geek and a nerd."

**-OTC-**

When we were on our way to work, Bella suddenly turned the music down and looked at me with surprise in her eyes. I raised one eyebrow at her questioningly and she let out small giggle before exclaiming, "I just realized something—we still don't know that much about each other."

I frowned at the thought and said, "You know my family—sort of. And you know I am a doctor, from England… and that I was a geek in high school." On a second thought, she was right. We were still just acquaintances. _Well, I have to change that now!_ So I took a deep breath and told her, "Ask me anything you want to know about me. But in return, I get to ask you questions too."

Bella gave me a sweet smile before saying, "Deal. Okay, let's see… Oh! I got it. Tell me… why do you have two middle names?" I grimaced at that, because no matter how much I loved my grandparents, I hated my full name.

I sighed and replied, "It's a combination of both my grandfathers' names—Edward Masen and Anthony Cullen."

Bella laughed lightly at my sullen tone and said, "It's not that bad a name you know. I actually like the name Edward."

I grinned like a loon at her words before asking my own question. "What's your middle name? At the wedding the Pastor only said Isabella Swan."

Bella made a face before saying, "It's an old lady name—Marie."

I smirked at her reaction and said, "If Marie is an old lady name then Edward will be an old man name, won't it?" She smiled her shy smile, agreeing with me, and my heart did something weird in my chest._ What the fuck was up with that thing?_

The rest of the drive, we talked about our favorite music and I got to learn that even though Bella liked girly singers like Taylor Swift and Katy Perry, she was also a fan of my favorite bands: Kings of Leon, OneRepublic, Black Sabbath, and Muse. _Can there be anything in her tastes that's not compatible with me? It doesn't look like it's possible!_

**BPOV**

After our date, something changed between Edward and me. We were still the same people—we slept in separate rooms, we went to work together, we behaved like strangers at the hospital, and we still didn't wear our rings at work. But there was something… companionable between us now.

For instance, now Edward helped me with breakfast—the minimal amount he could—we were continuously finding out new things about each other, like our favorite food, movies, music and books, and at work, during lunch break, we didn't sit silently _beside_ each other anymore—we sat _with_ each other and talked like friends now.

When we found some time on Thursday afternoon after our double shift, we went to buy groceries for the weekend. This time, we didn't argue over what to buy. Instead, I picked up Edward's _Lucky Charms_ while he went to get pop tarts that would make it easier for me to prepare breakfast. It was a new form of companionship and I was enjoying it.

That brought me to the totally hilarious and frustrating conversation I had had with Rosalie on Tuesday—hilarious for me and frustrating for Rose.

_I had some time on my hands after following up on one of my patients and went to see my best friend. Unfortunately for me, Victoria was on a break and Rose was free to grill me about our date night._

_She started off innocently enough. "So, Bell, tell me how did Mase do on the first date."_

_I shrugged and said nonchalantly, "He did okay. He brought me flowers and then bought me dinner and ice cream. So can't complain, really."_

_My short answer didn't seem to satisfy her and she tried again. "Did you do anything dirty… you know… afterwards?"_

_I pretended to think before saying, "Well, we ate out, so no dishes were there to be washed, and there wasn't much laundry to be done either… so, that would be a no to the dirty."_

_Rose huffed and pouted. "At least tell me that there was something."_

_I took a leaf out of Edward's book and smirked at my friend. "Okay, there was _something_. But I am not saying what that something was. You asked me to say it was there and I did. You aren't getting more than that, Rosie."_

_Rose rolled her big blue eyes at me in exasperation and said, "You know, you're lucky you're my best friend. If it was anyone else, I would be so mad right now that I'd probably kick their asses to the next week."_

_I tried to look offended at her words and gasped. "Oh fuck! All these shit and you're still not mad at me? Damn, that means I am losing my power of annoyance here! Should've amped up the bitchiness, right?"_

_Rose shook her head as a 'no' before saying, "I cannot be annoyed or mad, Bell. Because the whole time you were being a bitch, you had a smile plastered to your face. I think he makes you happy. And if that's the case, I wouldn't be mad at you even if you have sex with him and not tell me."_

_I smiled at her heartfelt words and nodded, before whispering, "He does make me happy, Rose, more than I thought he will."_

_After that, she had hugged me and whispered back, "Then I don't want anything else."_

**-OTC-**

On Friday night, I decided to make something special for dinner. So after wracking my brain, I settled on Nana Swan's Spaghetti and Meatballs. When Edward heard what I was making, he offered to open a bottle of white wine that we had gotten when Carlisle and Esme had come to visit us.

I quirked an eyebrow at him and asked, "You really think that's a good idea? You, me and alcohol doesn't seem like a good mix."

He shook his head at my serious expression and replied in a mock-soothing voice, "Don't worry, Bellarina, I've got your back. I won't let you drink and do something stupid like… hmm… I don't know… drowning me."

I narrowed my eyes at him and scooped up a handful of water from the sink before shrieking. "I'll show you drowning!" And then I threw it at him with all my might. Surprisingly enough, my hand-eye coordination, or lack thereof, didn't stop the water from hitting him squarely on the chest.

I let a surprised giggle burst out of my lips and Edward joined in on my mirth. After my laughter subsided, I noticed one thing—the white shirt Edward was wearing was now looking transparent with the large wet spot giving me a tantalizing view of the hard muscled chest I had literally drooled on. _Holy crap! Is it just me or is it getting too fucking hot in the kitchen?_

Edward must've felt my ogling stare and he looked down at his shirt saying, "I should probably change out of this." I wanted to cry out to stop him but I didn't, because I was a chicken shit. Instead, I saw Edward walk up the stairs and cursed my luck.

After a few minutes, Edward was back at my side—this time wearing a gray t-shirt that stretched across his chest showing off his muscles quite nicely. I kept stealing glances at him but during my sixth look, I saw the corner of his mouth curve upwards. _The fucker knew what he was doing to me! Just you wait, Cullen. I will have my revenge._

With an innocent smile plastered on his face, he looked at me and asked, "Can I help you with something? I know I can't cook shit but, maybe I could… I don't know… wash stuff or chop something up for you."

That gave me the perfect idea for revenge and I smiled sweetly at him. "That's really sweet of you to offer. You could chop up the onions for me. It will be a big help." He didn't get the punch line and like the most obedient husband, he reached for the onions. I held out a chopping board and a knife for him and with a glad smile he took it from me. "_And now we wait!"_ I thought evilly.

I didn't have to wait for long though. After a few minutes, Edward had finally managed to cut the onion in half and was already sniffling. I looked at him with a saccharine sweet smile and asked, "You okay there, Chopping Master? Is the big bad onion monster making you cry?"

He finally caught on my teasing and shot me a glare before growling in a playful manner. "You minx! You knew the onion would make my eyes water, didn't you?"

I snickered at him and nodded. "Yup. Just like you knew trying to entice me while lecturing me about going slow is just plain mean."

He blinked at my accusation and asked with a grin, "It worked? You really find me enticing, Bellarina?"

I shook my head at him and said in an exasperated tone, "You know, if in real world people were named in the way Snow White's dwarves are, you'd be name Smirky or Smuggy."

With a smirk playing on his lips, Edward raised one hand and said, "I vote for Smirky!"

I rolled my eyes at him and huffed. "Fine, _Smirky_, now would you finish chopping up the onions? I really need to start on the sauce." He gave me a salute with the knife and went back to his chopping—well attempt at chopping. After about fifteen minutes, when I had already prepared the meatballs, I looked at the chopping board only to burst into laughter.

There, on the board, was two halves of an onion with a few slivers of onions spread around at the sides. Edward scowled at me and pouted. "You know, I am not a surgeon or anything. I am really trying to help you out here."

I decided not to point out the fact that without his _helping, _I would have already had the sauce bubbling on the stove. Instead, I took the knife from his hand and showed him how to chop the onion properly. Then I took another knife and started to chop them with him.

When I had finished all the onions, I looked at Edward. He had tear tracks running down his eyes, his nose had a pinkish hue on the tip but his lips—they were stretched in a wide victorious smile—as he held out the one asymmetrically chopped onion to me. I couldn't stop myself and stepped closer to him before planting a soft quick kiss on his lips.

As I whispered, "My brave Chopping Master," his smile grew in size, threatening to split his face in two. He really had a beautiful smile!

**EPOV**

Cooking with Bella was quite fun. Though I use the word _cooking _very loosely because even I, the take-out master, knew that massacring an onion and sneakily eating small pieces of cheese when your wife's not looking does not qualify as cooking. _But hey, who cares about the details, right?_

Despite the fucking onion making my eyes burn, I couldn't keep the huge grin off my face. Grinning for what you ask? Well, when you have an extremely beautiful wife, on whom you're pretty sure you've developed a crush, and then she kisses you for no reason at all—you should feel giddy as well.

During dinner, in between sips of Sauvignon blanć and forkful of spaghetti, Bella and I continued our bonding over TV dinner. At one point, Bella almost collapsed onto my lap with the force of her laughter from watching Friends. Instantly, all my thoughts went away and my mouth dried up. Suddenly it felt like there was nothing in the world—just me and my Bella. Her strawberry smell surrounded me once again, making me feel drunk on her.

Bella didn't notice my sudden stiffness. When she could sit upright once again, she giggled. "This part about Chandler being a lady always sends me howling with laughter. You didn't say though..." suddenly she sounded nervous, "... how was dinner?" _Really!? She was worried about dinner, while I was hard and aching for her? Be the gentleman, Ed. Don't do anything to dishonor her._

When I was sure I wouldn't do anything inappropriate for now, I replied her, trying not to let her sense the tension in my voice. "Dinner was delicious, Bella. We make a pretty good team, you know; both at work and home. We should try doing stuff together more often."

Bella blushed and looked down at her lap. I didn't understand what could possibly cause her to blush but I couldn't complain. That color on her cheeks always made me appreciate her beauty even more. I just wished I could hear what she was thinking.

**-OTC-**

Saturday was a slow day at work and I was about to uproot my hairs with my constant tugging on their ends. I kept checking my watch to see how much longer before I had to go for my afternoon round and then go home.

Home—it was a foreign concept to me. All those years of living in dorms in college, home had been the place where my parents were. When we came to the US and Emmett and I got job offers in Seattle while my parents went to live in Forks, I had felt home sick. My parents had bought us the penthouses so that Em and I could live close to each other and not be lonely. But it wasn't the same. Home was still where my parents were and the penthouses became just a place to crash at night.

But then Bella came into my life. I had no idea what a profound effect marriage can have on a person. On some level, I was even scared to have my life changed by a person I didn't know. But now—now I had breakfasts and home-cooked dinner and even on double shift days—packed lunch. Now when I got up in the morning, I got to start the coffee for Bella, I got to see the way her face lightened up when she stepped into the dining room and smelled the coffee. Now I want to find some time at night to watch TV with Bella. Now I could discuss books and music with Bella without worrying that she'll label me as a geek. Because she was Bella—my Bellarina. And it was the feeling of… contentment that always rushed into my heart whenever I realized that the beautiful girl will be going to the penthouse with me, that feeling made me grasp the fact that the house was not just a house anymore; it was starting to feel like home—my home with Bella.

I was snapped out of my thoughts by the loud ringing of my phone. I picked it up to see it was Alice calling me. A smile came onto my lips at the thought of hearing my little sister's voice and I answered the call. "Hey, Allie, how are you doing?"

Alice wasn't in the mood for niceties for a change and went straight in for the kill. "_You should be very thankful to have me as your little sister, you know, Ed?_"

I chuckled at her obnoxiousness. "As amazing a sister as you are, Allie, can you please be a little more specific and say what exactly have you done this time?"

Alice huffed and said, "_I knew it! You forgot! I promised to myself I wouldn't meddle but your stupid brain doesn't remember _anything!"

I was confused. "Whoa, slow down there, Sis. What meddling? And what did I forget?"

I could practically see Alice slapping her hand to her forehead with frustration. "_A few weeks ago, when I went to visit you guys and Bella got drunk on my watch, I realized how much of a pest I had been. I mean, yeah sure, mom and dad were meddling in your relationship too but they're from _ancient _era. I am your sister and I should have insisted that an arranged marriage is not the way the world goes now-a-days. I should have arranged a meeting for you two before everything went down._"

I couldn't bear my sister beating herself up and so I tried to calm her down. "Allie, it's ok. We didn't have the conventional beginning, but it's all good. We're good. But… thanks for deciding to let us proceed on our own pace."

"_If you guys are good then does that mean you didn't forget about Bella's birthday? Oh, good. I was afraid that you will forget and end up not getting her a gift on her birthday. I'm sorry, Ed, I overreacted…_" Alice was rambling.

But my brain had stopped working upon hearing the words 'Bella's birthday'. When I could find my voice again, I stopped her rambling. "Alice, wait, did you say something about _Bella's birthday_? When is it? I didn't know anything about it."

Alice made the frustrated sound again, followed by what I was sure the sound of her hand hitting her forehead, and then she started chewing my head off. "_Oh my God! This is even better. You don't even _know_ when her birthday is? What do you guys do when you're at home? Wait, don't answer that. I don't want to hear about your… ahem_." Her flustered behavior made me chuckle in the midst of the crisis I was facing.

My chuckle stopped her twittering and she said in a stern voice, "_Don't laugh, Ed. This is serious. Bella's birthday is on the 13__th__—__**three**__ days away. What are you gonna get her?_"

It finally struck me that I had absolutely no idea what to buy for Bella. The only girls I had even bought presents for were my mother and my sister and they both were pretty easy to buy stuff for. Because I could always buy some home decorating book for my mother or simply chip in with Alice and she'd be happy and for Alice… I always got a list of stuff to buy from.

I scratched my head and said, "Okay, I get the severity of the situation. So should I ask her for a list like you give me?"

Alice growled—actually growled in frustration—and replied, "_NO! You don't ask your new bride what she wants for her birthday. You guess and buy what you think she'll like._"

That sounded more complicated than it needed to be. So I countered, "But won't it be easier to buy what I know she likes than guessing and getting the wrong thing?"

"_You know, big brother, you are so lucky I cannot teleport myself to Seattle just so that I could strangle you for your thick-headedness. Listen up, Bella's birthday is coming and you need to get her a gift. It should be something special—so that she remembers it even when you two are old and full of wrinkles. Now, get you gold medal winning head spinning and find out what you should do. I said I won't meddle, so I just pointed out the way to you. Now I'm out. Call me after her birthday to let me know what you did. Bye._" With her speech over Alice disconnected the call leaving me tugging on my hair with even more force than before.

_This is just great! What the hell am I supposed to buy for Bella? God! Being married is not that easy either!_

**A/N: Poor Edward, don't you think? ;)**

**I want to say something to the new readers. I got a guest review on chapter-2 this week commenting on my punctuation and I went back and read the first chapters. You know what I found out? There were some hideous grammatical errors and punctuation mistakes in the earlier chapters. Due to my studies, it is not possible for me to go back and edit the whole thing. However, I do think I have improved… just a tiny bit? So all I can do is promise to keep trying to improve. All right? :)**

**For those of you who haven't voted yet, go and vote in the Twilight Sci-fi Fantasy Contest. The voting is open till the 30****th****. Here's the link—**

** u/5567567/twiscififantasycontest**

**As I have already told you guys about the future-take of Change My Mind I am donating to The Fandom Gives, named Phases of Change, I have the summary for you:**

**Phases of Change:**** It's been three years since the day Bella changed Edward's mind—three years since they have gotten together. Now, Edward has a question for Bella. This is the story of the phases her mind goes through before acknowledging what's in her heart.**

**If you'd like to donate or want to see the teaser to the story, go to this link: www. fandomgives. info/**

**(Don't forget to remove the spaces)**

**Thank you for reading.**

**Leave me your thoughts and review, please?**

**Take care.**

**Ann**


	29. Chapter-29: A Little Piece of Me

**Disclaimer: No copyrights infringement intended. I don't own Twilight saga or any of its awesome characters. I also know absolutely nothing about firearms, except what I've seen in TV.**

**A/N: Thanks to everyone who has reviewed, favorited, put on alert or simply... read OTC. You guys make my days a little bit brighter. Thank you. This is one of the chapters I have been looking forward to writing for a while.**

**Enjoy Chapter-29 and I'll see you at the end of this chapter! :-)**

**Chapter-29: A Little Piece of Me**

**EPOV**

"You know, the way you're punishing your hair, you'd be bald by the time you get back home. I don't think BabyBell will be hot for you if that happens." Emmett's sardonic tone broke though my haze of thoughts. I rolled my eyes at him. It was actually my fault that I had given him the opportunity to laugh his ass off at me, because with my shit-filled head, I could not figure out what to do for Bella's birthday. Since Emmett had had girlfriends before I thought he could advice me on female psyche. _Wrong thought there, Cullen!_

"Laugh it up, you moron. You know, being the older brother with far more experience with the opposite sex, you should be the one to help me out." I snapped at my cousin. He just continued laughing his ass off until suddenly he stopped… just like that, and looked at me with wide eyes and an open mouth.

I looked behind me to check if there's anyone behind me before saying matter-of-factly, "Em, did you swallow a fly… again?"

Emmett immediately closed his mouth and grimaced at the memory. "Urgh! Don't remind me. And don't _ever_ mention it to Rosie. She'll start calling me Fly-mouth or something. Besides, it was a very tiny fly—more like a mosquito—really."

I chuckled at the thought of Rosalie calling Emmett '_Fly-Mouth'_ before something struck me. "Wait, _Rosie_? Since when do you call Rosalie 'Rosie'? How are you guys doing by the way?" I was trying to forget the frustration from moments before by changing the topic.

Emmett suddenly had a silly smile on his face. Don't worry, to me all of Emmett's smiles usually look silly, but this was a different silly—like drunk or glazed look—silly._ Whoa! I don't think I have ever seen Em look like that, except when he was fawning over his Playboy stash! _

When he finally started talking, his lips were still curved in a goofy smile. "We're great. Rosie's great. You know Ed, I never thought I would say this but, dude, she's like the female counterpart of me. I am so glad to have found her."

I held up my hands and said quickly, "Okay, Em, I don't want to hear about your sexcapades with Rosalie. I'm happy that she makes you happy, Bro. Just bear in mind that she's Bella's best friend. So don't 'fuck-and-duck' on her like you usually do, alright?"

I expected Emmett to laugh at my use of his terminology. But instead, he shook his head and said with a determined look on his face, "No, Ed, it's different, man. When I'm with her it's like I don't see other chicks. Beside, that night at the club, after you and BabyBell went off, I had gone to the bar to get us drinks, and when I turned to look at Rosie, I saw a sleazy guy trying to take hold of her hand. I was about to rush to her aid, but then Rosie simply moved her killer heeled feet, and before I knew it, the guy was couching down, yelling in pain and Rosalie was looking nonchalantly at her fingernails. Bro, even if I wanted to sleep around, I value my jewels too much to do that. Besides, I don't need to fuck-and-duck when I have Rosie with me."

I offered him a smile, showing I was happy for him, but my mind was conjuring up what could've happened if my Bella was in Rosalie's place. I can't even imagine my shy bride aiming a kick at anyone's balls. _Oh, yeah? What about that first night? She should've kicked your balls for the dick-wad move you pulled!_

I was completely in agreement with my subconscious, when Em suddenly clapped my shoulder. "Anywho, what I was thinking about, before you rudely interrupted me, is that Bella's birthday will fall on the same day as your one month anniversary. You can combine those two and figure something out."

I looked at my cousin with astonishment, because that was actually something that hadn't crossed my mind. I grinned at him. "I don't think I ever said and meant it at the same time, Em, but you are a freaking genius!"

Em let out a boisterous laugh before turning to me and asked, "So, what's the plan, Brainless?" I let his insult slide—for once—and started explaining the plan that was taking shape in my mind. _This just might work!_

**-OTC-**

On Sunday, I went up to the Chief and asked him to let me have a day off on Monday, seeing as Tuesday, Bella's birthday, was already our day off. Chief Farrell didn't think of anything before sanctioning my request._ Now it's time to tell Bella._

When I walked in the cafeteria for lunch, I immediately found my wife laughing with Jasper and Rosalie. As if she could sense my presence, she looked up just as I was about to take my seat at their table and gave me a bright smile. My lips automatically mimicked her smile.

I leaned into her side slightly before whispering, "We need to talk."

Bella's smile vanished from her lips and she raised an eyebrow at me. "That sounds rather ominous. Are you breaking up with me?" Though her words were teasing, I could see the worry in her eyes.

I vehemently shook my head and said, "No way, I just managed to get you to go out with me. I am not letting you go that easily."

She relaxed at my words and smiled shyly. "I don't want you to let go that easily, either."

"So, we're on the same page then. Listen, Bella, a few days ago when you were telling me about your parents, you told me that you used to go see them every weekend," I started.

She scrunched up her eyebrows and nodded telling me to continue. So I said, "Well, now that work's too hectic for you to see them that often, I thought… I mean, it's going to be a month since you've seen them soon and I was wondering if you want to go to Forks tomorrow?"

Bella's face immediately lightened up before she grimaced. "Edward, our day off is on the day after tomorrow. We still have to work tomorrow. It's just not possible right now."

I chuckled at her and said in a sarcastic voice, "Oh, how much trust you have in my abilities, Bellarina!" She giggled at my tone and tried to rib me with her elbow. I grasped her hand under the table, before saying in a low voice, so that only she could hear me, "I have already planned it all out. I miss my parents too. So I have taken tomorrow off to take you to Forks. We can stay the night there before coming back home by Tuesday night."

Bella frowned. "But if you have taken the day off, I can't take tomorrow off as well. Otherwise people will start to talk."

I wanted to say, 'fuck the people! I don't give a flying fuck if they know that you're my wife'. But I couldn't, not because I didn't want people to know about us, but because I had promised to let Bella take the lead in this.

Instead, I thought for a moment, before having a light-bulb moment. "I got it. You won't tell anyone anything. Tomorrow, you'll call from the road to let your boss know about your sudden need for a sick day. I'm sure the he'll understand."

Bella started to shake her head before I could finish telling her my plans, and then she mumbled, "I can't lie. I am a terrible liar. Montgomery will figure it out and then I'll be out of job."

_She was making this so fucking difficult!_ I was about to let my frustration out, but Bella suddenly looked behind her before turning to me with a mischievous smile playing on her lips. "I can't lie, but Rose is a champion liar. I could get her to tell Montgomery directly when she came in to work. How does that sound?"

"That, Bellarina, sounds like a plan." I smirked at her. She blushed at the nickname as always, making me smile just a bit bigger.

**BPOV**

Monday morning was a flurry of activities as Edward and I rushed through our breakfast of hot pockets and was on the road by the time the clock read 8 a.m. I was constantly yawning for getting so little sleep the night before. I couldn't believe it. The only drawback of my getting ward placement, at the end of my internship, was the fact that I wouldn't get to see my parents that often. But Edward, being the obnoxious, crazy, arrogant and sweet man he was, somehow realized the home-sickness I was feeling after having his parents come over.

This month has been one crazy ride what with setting our parameters, getting to know each other, house guests and everything. Even I didn't know how much I was missing my parents before Edward brought it up the day before.

I called Rose up to check if she had done what I had asked her to, and of course, my best friend was always on my side. She had deviously wished me to 'have fun with the hubby' before hanging up making me roll my eyes.

I offered to trade-off driving duty after ten, but Edward was adamant that he'll be the one driving so that I could catch up on the sleep I was obviously in need of. It was a sweet gesture, but to me, it seemed like he didn't want me driving his car. Hmm, I'll have to ask Alice about it when I see her.

On the prospect of seeing my new sister, my mood picked up, and Edward and I spent most of the drive listening to music on the CD player. _He really had great taste in music. He's handsome, thoughtful and has good music sense—could he be more attractive? It doesn't seem possible._

**EPOV**

Just as we crossed through the town marker saying 'Welcome to Forks, Washington,' Bella perked up and asked me, "Hey can you take a right turn?"

I quirked an eyebrow at her before smirking. "Why, Mrs. Cullen, are you trying to kidnap the unsuspecting visitor with your charms?"

She rolled her eyes and said, "Oh, yeah, Dr. Cullen, you are such a catch that I have to kidnap you to get you all to myself. You're an ass sometimes, you know that?"

"Are you telling me you're attracted to asses? Or that you're attracted to my ass?" I was trying to goad her, to make her say that she was attracted to me.

Bella however did the exact opposite and snickered. "Who said I was attracted to you anyway?" When I pouted like I had seen Alice do on numerous occasions, she laughed. "Okay fine, Smirky, don't pout. You know I find you attractive. I wanted to show you around the town before going home. Do you want me to?"

Though she had started her talk with laughter in her voice, she ended it with her shy smile that made me want to wrap her in my arms and never let go. As I couldn't do that—for now—I reached out to tuck the lock of hair that had come out of her ponytail behind her ear.

She leaned into my touch before blushing bright pink, and making me chuckle. "Alright, Bellarina, show me where you grew up, baby." She smiled up at me before indicating me to turn the car to the right.

After driving for a few minutes, we reached a small and old red brick building which Bella pointed out to me. "That's the elementary school. I met Rose here on our first day of school. I still remember that day. During recess, Laura—our class bitch— had come up to me and flat out called me _Duck_ for having the surname Swan. I was about to cry, when out of nowhere, Rose came over and openly threatened Laura, saying that if she picked on Rose's friend, she'll be sorry for the rest of her life. I don't know where she heard that ridiculous line—must be some cheesy movie or something—but it didn't matter to me. What mattered was that I had a new friend."

I smiled at her memory and asked, "Did you say anything to her?"

Bella giggled, "You bet I did. I asked her how she got the idea that we were friends, and she simply shrugged and said that she was Rosalie Hale and she had decided that I was going to be her friend. And somehow, that was enough to make me realize that I wanted that girl as my best friend as well."

Bella had a sweet smile on her face, and to be frank, though the part about the other girl trying to make Bella cry was horrible, but at the same time the story was quite cute. So I smiled back at her. "Seems like, you have quite a friend in Rosalie."

She gave me a smile before saying, "Yeah, I am lucky to have Rose as my friend. Anyway, let's go another block. There's the playground and middle school I want to show you."

**-OTC-**

For the next hour, Bella showed me the places that meant something to her and inadvertently, I got a glimpse of a little piece of her life—before me. She showed me the playground where she had dug up a worm, which she had tried to keep as a pet for… three hours, before it ran away from her glass jar.

She showed me the middle school where she and Rosalie had gotten into a fight over Rosalie saying a bad word in a girl's toilet and by the time they had finished screaming their lungs out, the principal had come to find the reason behind the mini-flood in the school hallway.

When we got to the high school—a few more blocks further—Bella's eyes twinkled, as she recounted the story of her being the knight in shining armor for Rosalie. I could feel the excitement rolling off of her, as she said, "In high school, during our senior prom, the captain of the football team, Royce King, made a bet on Rose. He said that he'd get Rose to sleep with him by the end of the night. There was a harmless kid, Jim, who had the biggest crush on Rose. He heard about it and told us. Jazz was so angry! He wanted to tear Royce into pieces, not caring that he was about the size of a stick compared to Royce. But I came up with a far more notorious plan…"

I really did get where Jasper was coming from, and if I had heard any stupid little shit betting on my sister, I would've castrated him—at the least. But I didn't voice my feelings to Bella because I wanted to hear what mischief my innocent wife had gotten into. So instead, I prompted her, "What was the plan? Did you hand Jasper a machete?"

Bella laughed lightly and said, "No, silly. I asked Jim to get us a fishing pole—because his parents own the sporting goods store—the one we passed a few minutes ago. Anyway, armed with the fishing line, Jasper and I went into the Boy's toilet where Royce had just gone into a stall. And as soon as his pants hit the floor, I casted the line and reeled his pants out of the stall through the space under the door."

By now, I had joined in her laughter and I asked in between chuckles, "What did the pantless guy do then?"

Bella giggled—a beautiful sound that was becoming addictive for my ears—and replied, "Pantless had kept his cell phone in the pant pockets, so he couldn't call anyone to ask for help, and in a black-tie event, the football captain couldn't appear without his pants, now, could he? He had to sit on the toilet for the remainder of the function. From what everyone heard in school the next time, the janitor had come to check the toilets before closing the school gates and found him. And the janitor, being a funny guy, said to people that Royce had either forgotten to wear pants in prom or had shitted on his pants and so had to flush them out. Take your pick of the ending."

I snickered and said, "I pick the second one. By the way, did the guy ever find out who took his pants?"

Bella shook her head before saying, "Nope. The fishing line was pretty thin so he didn't really see it. According to him, Moaning Myrtle from Harry Potter had come and stolen them. Those pants are still in Rose's closet—as a trophy."

Her wide smile made me laugh again which set her off—again.

When we had passed the library where Bella admitted to have first fallen in love with books, we decided to stop at Forks Diner for lunch. I was going to suggest we get to her parents' home before lunch, but the way Bella's eyes lit up at the sight of the diner, made me stop the car. After having greasy burger and fries for lunch, and listening to Bella and her dad's escape stories to the diner to get away from her mom's cooking, we finally drove towards the Swan residence.

**-OTC-**

As we drove up to the driveway, I checked the clock on the dashboard. It was almost two in the afternoon. We had already decided to each stay at our parents' place. Because that way, we would get to spend some time with our parents and we wouldn't encounter any awkwardness of sharing Bella's queen-sized bed.

Though I had agreed to the plan, but right at that moment, I was kicking my own ass because if in my king-sized bed we ended up snuggled to each other in our sleep, what would we have done in a smaller queen-sized one? _Yeah, Cullen, if you had manned up a bit, you could be snuggling with Bella tonight, instead you'll have to sleep alone—under a separate roof from her!_ I could practically hear my dick cursing my gentlemanly ways.

However, the thought of being separated from Bella, for almost ten hours or so, made my heart clench just a bit tighter. _What's up with that thing?_

Gathering my nerves for facing my in-laws, I turned off the car. And then on impulse, I leaned over the centre console to kiss Bella on the cheek—at least that was my intention. But Bella suddenly turned her head towards me with parted lips—about to say something, which made my lips land on hers—rather than her cheek—not that I minded in the slightest!

So what else could I do but kiss her? And that's exactly what I did—I kissed her softly at first, and then as I felt the heat coming off her cheek, I knew she was blushing. So I raised one hand and cupped her face with the barest of touch, making her fist a handful of my shirt collar to keep me anchored to her—and that's how Charlie Swan found us.

"You planning on getting out of the car this week, Edward?" the gruff voice of my father-in-law made my eyes snap open, and then I exercised extreme control, as I removed my lips from his daughter's and refrained from cussing.

I stole a quick glance at Bella and saw what I had expected—her cheeks and neck was several shades darker, bordering on red rather than pink. If I hadn't been feeling like a little boy who just had favorite toy taken away, I might have smirked at her expression.

Instead, I decided to get out of the car and then opened the door for Bella—surprisingly she had waited in the car for me rather than opening it herself. _Maybe I'm finally getting her used to this. Or… maybe she'd just too embarrassed to face her father!_ When Bella had climbed out of the car, I closed the door before turning to greet her father.

"Hello, Sir, how are you? Bella was missing you guys and so we took a day off." Not the cool and casual greeting I was planning but it was still good—or so I thought.

"Now why would she be missing us? Are you not taking good care of my baby girl, Boy?" Charlie's accusing tone made me feel just like what he called me—a boy. I was about to sputter out some apology or explanation—I don't even know which—but Bella decided to step in.

"Dad, it's enough. Why are you pulling his leg?" At her words, I peeked at Charlie and saw a small fluttering on his mustache. _The fucker! Here I was sweating bullets, and he was laughing!_ I must've scowled at him because Bella poked my side and said, "Don't let him scare you. He's not the Chief Swan here. He's my father. He's totally harmless."

I wanted to say, "_I beg to differ, Baby. Because if the way he threatened me on our wedding day was anything to go by, he is a super scary guy!" _But I didn't, because I figured, Bella would think of me as a chicken if I said that her dad scared the shit out of me. Instead, I smiled back at Charlie and took his proffered hand. Though I'm not sure if it was my imagination or not, he squeezed my hand just a little bit too tight.

By the time he let go of my now almost-mangled hand, Reneé had joined us and was hugging Bella by the front porch. After a customary hug from her, I turned to bid Bella goodbye. But Bella clasped my hand and said, "Wait, I want to go with you." My heart almost started to dance at the thought of her not wanting to part with me. But her next words made me slump back. "I should go and meet Esme and Carlisle. Alice is there too, right? It's been so long since I've seen Alice!"

I suppressed a sigh and was about to open my mouth, but Charlie beat me to it. "Bells, why don't you freshen up first? I want to take you and Edward somewhere this evening. So, you can go to the Cullens' place after we get back. Is that alright, Edward?"

I narrowed my eyes suspiciously at the fact that Charlie wanted to take me _somewhere._ But seeing that Bella will be with us, he wouldn't dare to kill me for kissing her, right? So I nodded and said, "Yeah, that sounds like a plan. I'm sure mom will be ecstatic to have you there for dinner, Bella." When Bella gave me a timid '_okay,_' I looked at Charlie and asked, "When should I meet you, Charlie?"

Charlie thought for a minute before telling me to meet him and Bella in two hours. I may not have been looking for bonding time with Charlie, but I could use his help for my plans for Bella's birthday. _Besides what can he do to me anyway?_

**BPOV**

I so wanted to ask Edward to take me with him—not because I wanted to see his family again like I had told him—but because I didn't want to be away from him for even a whole day. Funny how that feels, isn't it? One moment, I was ready to murder my father for marrying me off to the Rude Adonis, and the next, I was missing the same man like crazy. _But he's not the same man, is he? He's more… playful, nice, teasing, funny, cute… he's just… more._ I shook off my wayward thoughts and went up to the house with my parents. It was good to see them after almost a month.

**-OTC-**

Just as the clock struck four, the door bell rang. One side of my dad's mustache shook as he snickered. "Is he always this punctual or just trying to butter me up?"

I rolled my eyes at his obvious pleasure at my husband's unease and said, "Dad, be nice. You were the one who chose him for me, remember? Now you have to play fair. Besides he's not that bad." I could feel my cheeks heat up as I mumbled the last sentence.

My dad patted my hair and said in a soft tone so that my mother and Edward, who were talking in the foyer, would not hear him, "Not that bad, huh? If he keeps you happy, then I don't have any complaint against him, Kid."

I whispered, "He does keep me happy, Dad." And then I tried to hide my face behind the curtain of my hairs, feeling too uncomfortable to discuss my relationship with my husband, with my dad.

Dad then cleared his throat and said, "Well then, let me have some fun with him—just this once." I rolled my eyes at him, already knowing that he was going to scare the hell out of Edward. _God help us all!_

**-OTC-**

Just as we turned into the street towards the police station, I knew what my father was up to—he was taking us to show Edward his gun range. This was my dad's most favorite hobby—scaring off any guy who showed slightest interest on me, sometimes even Rose, with his gun collection. Though the gun range was bit overkill, I'll give you that—even for him. Maybe it was because he had seen Edward sticking his tongue down my throat this time.

When dad had insisted that we ride in his cruiser, I already knew he was going to embarrass me but—_guns, Dad, really?_ Edward looked curiously puzzled as Charlie stopped the car in front of the station. But I just shook my head not willing to break the news to Edward that he was about to be thrown into the face of guns.

I kept grumbling under my breath the whole trek towards the field in back of the station, where my father's precious gun range was. Edward kept trying to catch my eye, most probably hoping to get some clue, but I avoided looking at anyone other than my feet.

After we reached the shooting podium, dad turned to me and pointed to the bag he was carrying. "Take your pick, Kiddo." I was about to spew out my anger, but seeing the way he was pleading me with his eyes, I decided to let him show off—just this once. So I gestured toward Edward as if to say, "_Fine, go ahead. Let him have the first pick._" Charlie's eyes were twinkling with mirth as he held out the bag to Edward.

Looking absolutely clueless, Edward slipped his hand inside the bag and the moment his hand touched the cold metal of the guns, his eyes turned as round as saucers! He stammered, "Charlie, what is all this? What do you want me to do?"

Dad let out a huff. "We're at a shooting range, Edward, with guns in a bag. What do you think we're gonna do? I wanted to see if Bella's aim is still as good or not."

My name made Edward look at me like it was the first time he was seeing me. "You can use a gun?" I just shrugged not wanting to say anything.

However, Charlie immediately went into brag mode. "Use? My Bells can shoot both guns and rifles, Son. Now, are you gonna take your pick or not?" Still eying me with shock written all over his face, Edward reached into the bag before pulling out a 44 Magnum. He was eyeing the piece with a dubious look which made me join him and reach for my usual one—the Glock 22. After a few minutes of pointing out the mechanics to Edward, we were ready to practice.

On Charlie's count, we both fired the guns—mine went directly through the forehead of my target and Edward's went straight through the lung of _my_ target. When I heard my dad snicker from behind—obviously proud to have shown the _boy_ that he had trained his daughter well—I decided to pay him back for trying to scare my husband.

So I went to Edward and stood close to him with my front almost touching his back. Then I brought my mouth close to his ear and whispered, "Don't pay him any attention. You can do it. It's easy really. Let me help you." While I was talking, I inched my hands up his arms and held his hand steady with mine and then said, "Now softly squeeze the trigger. Don't pull it, squeeze. And lock your gun hand with the other one, that'll make you shoot straight."

Edward took a long breath, making our bodies brush and then he fired—shooting at the heart of his target. Forgetting my father's presence, I hugged Edward tightly and said, "You did it."

He nuzzled his face in my hair and exhaled. "I did it because I had a pretty good teacher." And I grinned against his chest, feeling immensely proud of him.

Behind us my father grumbled, "Beginner's luck. Stop fussing you two." But Edward proved him wrong. Because most of the next shots he fired, struck to his target.

As we were making our way back to the car, I fell back when I saw Edward talking to my father. After allowing them few minutes, I picked up my pace. As I climbed in the back of my dad's cruiser, I caught his eye in the rearview mirror and I thought I could detect happiness and a hint of pride in them._ Now what is he planning?_

**A/N: Again, I have never seen a real gun in my life, except in movies and TV. So whatever I wrote is purely fictional.**

**I know, Edward did not reveal his gift in this chapter, but you'll love it, I promise.**

**Take care and leave me your thoughts and review, please?**

**Ann**


	30. Chapter-30: What? How? WOW!

**Disclaimer: No copyrights infringement intended. I don't own Twilight saga or any of its awesome characters nor do I own the copyrights for the movie Due Date.**

**A/N: Thanks to everyone who has reviewed, favorited, put on alert or simply... read OTC. You guys make my days a little bit brighter. Thank you.**

**Warning: You should probably have a box of Kleenex at hand, because you may cry because of adorableward. And also, be sure to have something cold at hand, just in case. ;-)**

**Enjoy Chapter-30 and I'll see you at the end of this chapter! :-)**

**Chapter-30: What? How? WOW!**

**EPOV**

It was official—Charlie Swan was the scariest and meanest father-in-law a guy could end up with and when the guy is me—my life just got complicated. I should have made Bella kick his ass for the stunt he pulled with the guns. But yeah, I needed to butter him up. So when we were walking back to his stupid police cruiser from the merry time game of '_mental scarring of Edward Cullen_', I snatched up the opportunity of being out of Bella's hearing range and explained my plan to him. For a moment, I thought he would refuse to help but then he clapped me on the back and said, "Alright, son, you got it. But I should probably let you know, my Bells is not a big fan of surprises." I nodded, already knowing that bit of information from our various twenty questions rounds.

**-OTC-**

When Bella and I reached my parents' house, Bella nudged my shoulder with hers and whispered, "I am so sorry about my dad, Edward. He is too much of a child sometimes."

I shook off her apology and smirked. "It's okay, Bellarina. If the big bad sheriff comes to chew off my head, I can always count on my gun-slinging wife." Though she snorted at my choice of words, I could see that the slight flirting seemed to please her—even if just a little bit.

"Bella! Bella! You're here. MOM BELLA'S HERE!" Alice's shrill voice was closely followed by her small raven-haired form almost knocking Bella down on her ass with the force of her bone-crushing hug.

I quickly steadied Bella before turning to glare at Alice. "Alice, don't smother her."

However, it seemed my glare and my stern tone both were wasted because Bella let out a giggle of pleasure and hugged my sister back just as tightly, saying, "Allie! I have missed you so much, Sis. When are you coming to Seattle?"

Just then, my mother came out of the kitchen and wrapped both Bella and—by default, Alice (since she still hadn't let go of Bella)—in a hug.

As I stood there with a bemused expression on my face, I caught Bella's eyes. When I quirked an eyebrow at her, she shrugged and smiled happily. _She is so attached to my family already. Can she be anymore perfect?_

**-OTC-**

After we had stretched our stomach up to its maximum capacity with my mother's delicious cooking, I drove Bella back to her parents' house with a promise of meeting the Swans for lunch the next day. Everything was going according to plan and I suspected that with the excitement of visiting her parents, Bella has forgotten about her birthday. _All the more reason to surprise her!_

When we had reached the front porch of Swan residence, I felt like a high school boy dropping off his girlfriend at her house after a date. Judging by the nervous giggle Bella had let out, I think she was feeling the same way.

"Well, I should get back home. It's getting late." I was itching to go back and join my sister in the preparations of the surprise.

"Edward, wait. Will you… text me when you reach home?" Bella's voice was filled with concern for me and I chuckled before nodding. I was about to kiss her goodnight when I saw the curtain move behind the door. _Looks like Charlie is spying on us to see if I am going to disgrace his daughter in his own house!_

I silently cursed my father-in-law before bushing a kiss on Bella's forehead and whispered, "Good night, Bellarina. Sweet dreams, Baby."

I felt Bella's cheeks flush with warmth as she whispered back, "Good night, Smirky. I'll see you tomorrow, right?"

I smirked at her just to make her giggle and winked. "Bright and early, Baby." And then I knocked on the door for her and only after making sure that Bella was safely inside the house, I started up the car. _Now to find out what mom and Allie had been up to._

**BPOV**

"Mom, I am going to bed." I said loudly from the door of my bathroom. I had taken a shower and with my hair almost dry, I was feeling too damn sleepy. However, my parents seemed to have some other plan.

"Bella, sweetie, why don't you come down, and join me and dad in the living room for a bit? It has been so long since we had a conversation. Isn't that right, Charlie?" I could hear my father's grumble at mom's question. I sniggered at the thought that most probably dad was a hostage to mom's sudden urge to share a conversation too. I looked at the wall clock in the hall—it was already quarter to eleven. _What does she want to babble about_ now?

Reluctantly, I went down the stairs to join my parents in the living room. After discussing the mechanics of the next day's lunch, my dad fell silent. His eyes went to being glued back to sports centre on the TV.

Not to be deterred by his obvious disinterest, my mother started grilling me about Edward, work, and my time with Edward at work. I gave half replies—trying to hide the fact that at work, Edward in his scrubs was _the_ most distracting thing in the world. Because trust me no parents should want to know about that—or so I thought.

So my mom's next question made me gape like a deer caught in headlights. "Now tell me, how's the sex? Is he rough or sweet? How was your first time? Did you bleed too much? Do you want to go and pick up something sexy to wear for him tomorrow, from Port Angeles?"

I was arguing with myself on the best course of action—staple Reneé's lips shut, finding dad's Glock 22 and blowing my brains out, or get out of the house running and screaming while flailing my hands like a crazy person.

I was about to pick option number three when my father growled, "Reneé, do NOT ask my daughter these in front of me. I am already about to bleach my brains from witnessing the boy sticking his tongue down her throat. If I have to hear anything else, I will start shooting anyone and everyone within a ten mile radius."

My mom was about to psshaw and continue on with the topic, but I held up my hands. "Mom, there's sharing, and then prying and then just plain imposing. You are doing both number two and three. You should stop... like right now or about ten minutes ago. I am going to bed. I think we have had enough conversation to last us the rest of my life!" With that rant, I climbed up the stairs two at a time and quickly went inside my room before closing the door. _That wasn't mortifying at all!_

**-OTC-**

_Crrrreeeakkk! Crrrreeeakkk!_

My eyes flew open at the sound of creaking. I was pretty sure that it was coming from the loose floorboard in the hall outside my room. _That means someone's walking about the house. Someone who doesn't know about the floorboard—someone like—a thief!_

As soon as my brain caught up to the fact, I was wide awake—every trace of sleep gone from my eyes. I turned my head slightly to read the time on the screen of my iphone—11.59 p.m. _Who would come to a house at this hour? A thief, that's who, you dumbo!_

Suddenly, a slight jingling noise caught my attention and I saw the doorknob of my room start moving. I quickly said a prayer, hoping against hope that I had locked it before going to bed. But just as my luck would be—I had not.

Slowly, the door opened and a light came into view. I shut my eyes and did what any sane person would do—I screamed—so loudly that I was sure I would put those sorority chicks from horror movies to shame. _Oh dear God, save me!_

I waited and counted to ten. Then, when the throat-slitting I was expecting didn't come, I cranked open one eye. _What the fuck?_ There, standing before me, was a candle… actually lots of candles… all rooted to a… **chocolate cake**? _A thief brought me a cake? What?!_

Then, I took a deep breath and looked up to see the face of the weirdo thief—only to meet with the intense emerald green eyes that had been haunting my dreams almost every night recently. The only difference from my dream was that this time, those eyes were wide with alarm. _Edward!_ As soon as I registered the fact that it was not a thief but my silly husband, I breathed a sigh of relief. Then another thought struck me. "_Charlie's gonna kill him. And then me, most probably._"

"Your dad's not gonna kill me; or you. Relax and have some cake, will you?" The sound of his velvety-smooth and smug voice made me focus on his face once more, and of course, I was met with— _the smirk!_ If I wasn't a little worried that my brain-to-mouth filter has gone out of the window, I would have told him to wipe that smirk off of his face.

Instead, I whisper-yelled at him, "Have some cake? Are you serious? Edward, do you have a death wish or something? What the hell are you doing here?"

He cocked one eyebrow and asked, "Is that worry I detect in your voice, Mrs. Cullen? Don't worry, baby, I came up here with permission."

I rolled my eyes at him and asked sarcastically, "Really? Who gave you the permission? Edward Cullen, aka, Smirky? And it was _so_ not worry; it was a warning. You did see some of my father's guns, right?"

He chuckled and shook his head. "Nope, not Smirky. Chief of Forks Police, Charlie Swan, gave me the permission. So, I _think_ I am safe from the guns… for now. And by the way, I happened to have a full ninja team behind me. Though they seem to have dispersed after witnessing the—what should I call it—_voice exercise_ you were doing."

I blushed at the reminder of the shrill scream I had let out, and then mumbled, "Well, you didn't answer my question. What are you doing here?"

He held out the candle lit cake to me and said, "I wanted to bring my beautiful wife this tasty cake, judging by the batter, of course." He winked at me and I gaped, still not realizing why on earth I needed to be woken up just to eat cake. Edward must have caught up on my confusion and smiled crookedly at me and said in a soft voice, "Happy birthday, Bellarina."

Finally, understanding dawned. It was 13th September—my birthday! When I could find my tongue, I asked, "How did you know? I didn't tell you about it, did I?"

Edward had just opened his mouth when the door squeaked open, and before I knew it, my parents and Alice had joined Edward beside my bed. Alice beamed at me. "My mom knew about your birthday and when she told me, I told Ed. Happy birthday, Bella!" Soon, I was wrapped in hugs and birthday wishes from my family, but my eyes kept going back to Edward.

He was such a sweet guy. Just the day before, he had pissed me off with something insignificant and now he was smiling at me like he cared about me, truly cared about me. _He can't be real. Nobody should be so… perfect!_

After my mom and Alice had made me blow out the candles and cut the cake, everyone started to shuffle out of my room. But I was still stealing glances at Edward when I thought nobody was looking. After Alice gave me a final wave and left the room, Edward looked at the door before crouching down beside my bed.

He brought his hand up to brush my hair from my forehead before moving the hand to cup my cheek. Then he leaned in and softly brushed his lips across mine. It was barely a kiss but it was still sensual and so… adoring that I felt my eyes sting with tears.

He then whispered against my lips, "Happy birthday, Bellarina. And happy one month anniversary, baby." I must have made a choking sound, suddenly realizing how much of an important day it was, because he moved his head back to look at me, and then smiled softly and said, "Sleep, baby. I'll see you tomorrow for lunch."

And then, he stood up and left before I could answer him.

After about half an hour of trying to get some sleep, I sat up and reached for my iphone and fired up a message to Edward.

_I forgot to say it before. So I have to say it this way now—thank you. Thank you for caring, for remembering our one month anniversary, thank you for bringing me here to spent the day with our families, thank you for… being you. ~~~ Bella ~~~_

Within a few seconds, my phone chimed with the incoming reply.

_It's my pleasure, Bellarina. By the way, you should be happy to know that I have returned home safe and sound. No need to worry that pretty little head of yours. ~~~ Edward ~~~_

I rolled my eyes at his antics and shot back my snarky reply.

_And, Smirky is back. I know that you're smirking right now. I can sense it from here. By the way, does Esme need help with lunch? I can come over early to help her out if she needs me to. ~~~ Bella ~~~_

I had reclined back in my bed as I waited for his reply, and started to grin like an idiot when his reply came.

_You know you love the smirk, baby! I can understand how desperate you are getting to see me again, but you don't need to use my mother as an excuse to see me. ~~~ Edward ~~~_

I groaned at his cockiness as I texted him back.

_Yeah right, keep on dreaming, Smirky. I would be there with my parents then. Now, since your yammering has bored me so much, I am going to sleep. Good night. ~~~ Bella ~~~_

I put the phone down, determined not to touch it again that night, only to break my determination moments later when it pinged with Edward's reply.

_I am happy to be of service to help you sleep at night. Good night, baby. I'll see you in your dreams. ~~~ Edward ~~~_

I shook my head, thinking. "_Oh, Edward, only if you knew how right you are!_" That night, I fell asleep with a wide smile in my face because of the man I knew I was about to dream of.

**EPOV**

The moment I woke up the next day, my mom had me and Alice slaving around the house, tidying up the already squeaky clean place. When my father came home for lunch, I casted a questioning glance at my sister who piped up, "Mom and dad are kind of excited to have the Bella and her parents over for lunch for the first time. Just don't think of it as too much. They are really happy to have found their friends again."

I just nodded knowing that she was right. A few minutes later, Alice whirled around to face me with her tiny hands balled up in fists resting on her hips. "Wait, you do have a gift for Bella, right Ed? Tell me you got her a gift."

_What does she think I am? I never leave anything half way!_ I mentally rolled my eyes at my sister before saying, "Yep. And you're not getting to see it before she does."

Alice tried to pull her usual puppy look on me, but when I refused to acknowledge her, she huffed. "Fine. But you're not seeing my gift either, then."

I simply shrugged, and the withering look Alice gave me lost all its potency because of the doorbell. _My Bella is here._ The thought of seeing Bella again put a smile on my face. _I was becoming obsessed with the girl!_

**-OTC-**

After lunch was over, Alice pulled Bella by the hand to make her follow her to the den where Alice had stacked all the gifts in a neat pile. First up was Alice, of course, and it's anyone's guess what she got Bella—clothes. Bella gave an awkward smile before giving Alice a hug, saying, "Thanks, Allie. Though by the way my closet is expanding, thanks to you, I don't think I will need to shop for clothes anytime soon."

Next were my parents. When my mom came up to Bella she started shaking her head. "Oh no, Esme. You didn't have to get me anything. I already got such a nice family to call as my own. I don't need anything else."

Mom simply smiled at her and said, "Bella dear, it's something we all have—in some way or other. It's a tradition to present the boys of Cullen family with a ring engraved with a 'C' when they come of age and for girls, it's a bracelet with a 'C' charm. You were supposed to get yours on the day of your wedding but it was too rushed so we couldn't get it ready on time. That's what you get for your first birthday as an official Cullen woman." With that, she put on a delicate platinum bracelet, similar to the ones I had seen on my mother and sister so many times, around my wife's wrist.

Bella looked at me and when I nodded appreciatively, she sniffled before hugging my mom and then my dad. I could see Reneé dabbing her eyes with a tissue as Bella choked out words of thanks to my parents. Charlie looked uncomfortable with all the crying and said in his gruff tone, "You kids should get on the road soon. Don't want you to drive in the dark."

With that, the emotional moment broke, and after another hour of mom's trying to tame my hair, Alice's chattering, Bella's blushing, Reneé's watery smiles, Charlie's grumbling and my dad's calm presence, we said our goodbyes and Bella and I started back for Seattle.

I knew Bella must be wondering if I got her something or not, but I wanted to give my gift in private. My mind was still preoccupied with the thoughts of how she'd react when I heard Bella mutter, "I don't like being celebrated. And I really don't like getting gifts. It makes me feel inadequate."

I took her hand over the centre consol and said, "Bella everyone just wanted to show you how much they love you. It has nothing to do with inadequacy."

Bella nodded before replying, "I know. You didn't let me finish. What I was going to say is—I also hate surprises, but this time, your surprise was a good one. Thank you, Edward."

I smiled at her before bringing her hand up to my mouth and brushing her knuckles with my lips. When I looked at her, Bella was blushing bright red—_mission successful_. At that moment, I couldn't wipe the smile off my face if I wanted to.

**-OTC-**

We were back home and changed when Emmett and Rosalie stopped by. They were going out on a date and just wanted to wish Bella a happy birthday. Rosalie gave Bella a wrapped package which suspiciously looked like a book. The broad smile that graced her lips at the thought of getting a new book made me reconsider my gift—for just a second, okay, so maybe, it was a minute—but then I shrugged it off.

Once we were alone, I proposed to make it a movie night. Bella picked the movie as she was the birthday girl, and lo and behold, she didn't pick a chick flick like I had feared she would. Nope, she picked Due Date—which in my opinion was one of the funniest movies I had ever seen. _Will she ever be predictable?_

After we had sat down on the couch, equipped with our movie snacks of root beer and cashew nuts, I started the movie. Soon we were laughing so hard that for a moment, I feared that my intestines would come out of my mouth! When I looked at Bella, I saw that her long hair was cascading down her back, and with her cheeks tinged with pink and her lips stretched in a grin, she was a vision. _I cannot wait any longer._ I decided to give her the gift now.

So I hit pause and met her questioning glance. Then, I reached into my pocket and brought out the box I had been carrying around since I got back home. I saw Bella's eyes widen and took a deep breath before saying, "Bella, I didn't get to give you my gift yet. Happy birthday and one month anniversary, Bellarina."

I opened the lid of the box before holding it out to Bella. She dropped her gaze at the silver chain nestled inside before meeting my eyes again. Because I am an impatient ass, I reached inside the box to take the chain in my hand and explained the pendant dangling from it. "Well, I know my parents gave you the bracelet as a _welcome to the family_ gift but I want you to always have a part of yourself with you too. So I got you this swan. Because you are as beautiful as a swan, Bella. And now would probably be a good time if you want to say anything… about the gift." I realized I was rambling and clamped my mouth shut.

Bella finally raised one hand to brush her fingers over the elegant looking swan pendant with diamond studded wings and then, she whispered, "Stop being so perfect, Edward. You're scaring me."

I finally let out the breath I didn't realize I had been holding before motioning her to turn around. However when she turned around and moved her hair to expose the perfect curve of the back of her neck to me, I felt a rush of desire go straight to my dick. She was so beautiful.

With timid hands, I unclasped the chain before putting it on her. After I had fastened it in place, I couldn't help myself and leaned down to kiss the nape of her neck.

Bella made a sound like a whimper before turning around and throwing her arms around my neck and then she kissed me. First the kiss was hurried as if she was afraid I would brush her off. But when I wrapped her in my arms and brought her closer, the kiss grew soft but more meaningful.

Bella rose on her knees before throwing one leg across my lap and suddenly she was straddling me and I was gripping the back of her neck, trying desperately to prolong our embrace. When she licked my bottom lip slightly before taking it between her lips and started sucking on it, it felt like I would faint. I must have groaned before anchoring my hands on either side of her hips, and crushing her body to mine.

Soon it wasn't enough for us and I coaxed Bella's lips to part to enter my tongue in her mouth before continuing my revelation in her taste. Her breathing grew ragged, making me realize she was trying to get air in her lungs. So I left her lips and moved my mouth to her cheek before running my nose along her jawbone.

When I started placing soft kisses down the column of her neck, she moaned and tilted her head to the side, giving me more room to explore and I smiled against her skin. This seemed to incense her as she started unbuttoning my shirt. I knew I should have stopped her right then and there but I didn't… I couldn't. Instead, I sat back and let her do what she wanted.

Bella followed a similar path to mine and soon was peppering kisses on each inch of my chest that became visible to her. When all the buttons were open and my shirt was hanging down from my shoulders, she started running her hands up and down my chest. Then she scraped one finger down the line of my sternum, making me groan like a caged animal.

Immediately, I took both of her wrists in one hand and yanked her forward to crush her lips with mine. This time, I nibbled lightly on her lip, wanting to see why on earth she was always biting that thing. She slipped her hands in my hair and tugged; and my control snapped.

I reached down to the hem of her t-shirt and found her eyes. She didn't flinch and there was no foreboding in her eyes, so I tugged on her shirt until she was free of that stupid article of clothing. I maintained eye contact with her, not looking down till I had her permission. She blushed before moving her hand from my hair to brush her thumb against my lips. _I guess had my answer._

So I looked down and was met with the most arousing thing I had ever seen in my life. Her skin was creams and roses and it looked almost luminous against the fabric of her black cotton bra. I resumed my previous path down her throat but this time I continued to her collarbone and then tentatively placed a kiss right in the middle of her breasts. Bella gasped loudly, "Edward!"

I smiled and then started placing open mouth kisses over the top of her breasts as I slowly slid my hands a few inches down, until I was gripping her ass in my hands. My dick was already flying full mast and was so hard I think it would have poked a hole in my pants if it was possible. I was thoroughly enjoying our make out session—until Bella moved.

Bella moved about an inch to the left, making my dick brush right against the source of heat coming off of her; and then she let out a whimper. I had a moment of clarity in my lust-induced haze. "_Ed, are you nuts? Are you ready for this? Do you think she is ready for this? If you're not ready, don't wind her up too tight only to leave her hanging. Make up your mind and use the head over your shoulders to do so._"

I knew the answer to my own question—no, I wasn't ready and I didn't think Bella was either. So I brought my hands up from groping her ass and placed them back on her hip. Bella immediately sensed the shift in my mood and looked up from her previous task of kissing my Adam's apple.

She looked right into my eyes and asked, "You're stopping, aren't you?" I sighed before running one hand through my hair and nodded.

I decided to explain myself before she could feel like I was rejecting her again and replied, "Bella, I want you; you already know that. But when we make love for the first time I want it to be meaningful and sweet and passionate; because that's what you deserve. You deserve the world, baby. So please just give me some time… give _us_ some time, before taking that step."

Bella looked down at my chest, but I could still see the blush on her cheeks. I didn't dare to look beyond her neck though, because I knew if I looked at her breasts once more, I wouldn't be able to stop myself from ravishing her. So I resolutely kept my eyes anchored to her face.

After a few seconds, Bella looked up to meet my eyes. "I know what you mean. I don't think I am ready for _that_ either. But…do you promise that what we shared just now is a trailer of the full version?"

I smiled and brushed my hand against her cheek before moving to grip the nape of her neck and stroking my thumb against the side of her throat. Then I leaned in and whispered in her ear, "The full version is going to be so much more, baby, that you'll be blushing for a month from just remembering it. I promise you that."

Bella blushed before nuzzling her face in between the crook of my neck and shoulder and murmured against my skin, "Then I look forward to the day that happens, _baby_." I gave her a goofy grin at her calling me 'baby' and then helped her up from my lap.

After she had put on her t-shirt and I had re-buttoned my shirt, I looked at the TV screen. It seemed during our… _session_, we had accidentally pressed play and now the end credits were rolling. But I couldn't give a shit about it right now. Because the blush on my wife's cheek when she noticed the TV made me say silently, "_I look forward to that day too, Baby._"

**A/N: So, did you enjoy it? This one is my personal favorite chapter, yet.**

**We've passed the halfway mark, people, so leave me your thoughts and review.**

**I have submitted my donation piece for the Fandom for Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. It is called ****_My Perfect Gentleman_****. It's my first attempt at something angsty but I cannot handle too much angst so, it's almost angsty. It is a one-shot set in the Regency era. If you guys like it, I might turn it into a full-length story. Here's the summary for you.**

**Summary for My Perfect Gentleman:**** A runaway bride with a broken heart, a woman desperately in love with a man. What if the man was too much of a gentleman to whisk her away from her wedding? Will she find her happy ending? Or will her tears be the only reminder of what could have been? AH, E/B, rated M.**

**The time to donate ends pretty soon, so if you want, please donate. It is a good cause. Here's the link for the blog:**

**Fandom4lls . blogspot (Don't forget to remove the spaces)**

**Thank you for reading.**

**Take care.**

**Ann**


	31. Chapter-31: Who the Fuck is Ian?

**Disclaimer: No copyrights infringement intended. I don't own Twilight saga or any of its awesome characters. I just have a very unhealthy amount of obsession with Ian and a set of Taber's Medical Dictionary with many dog-eared pages.**

**A/N: Thanks to everyone who has reviewed, favorited, put on alert or simply... read OTC. You guys make my days a little bit brighter. Thank you.**

**Enjoy Chapter-31 and I'll see you at the end of this chapter! :-)**

**Chapter-31: Who the Fuck is Ian?**

**BPOV**

It's been a whole fucking week since our make-out session on the couch; a whole fucking week of wanting to tear off Edward's scrubs and lick his abs once again. I was feeling very much confused by this point. Though he had promised me the full version of that trailer, but it hadn't happened yet. Hell, even a repeat of that trailer would have had set my body on fire.

That day I had allowed a guy to take off my shirt for the first time—not just any guy—my husband. And he still hadn't tried to get back to that position with me again. It was so frustrating! He said he wanted to go all the way with me, but he hadn't done anything to match his words with his actions.

Oh, we have kissed in this past week. But they were not the mind-numbing, toe-curling kisses he showered on me _that_ night. No, the other kisses were chaste… a few pecks… with just a hint of tongue and that is it. The moment I tried to get closer to him, he always shifted his body or ended the kiss to hold me at arm's-length.

I might be a virgin, but I am not as clueless as he seemed to think I was. I knew during that make-out session, he wanted me as well. I could feel his hard body beneath me. I involuntarily shivered… just the thought of all of his hard and lean, and perfectly-sculpted body pressing against my own soft one was too much for me. I knew that when I had tried to get some friction against him, he hardened a bit more and I was going bat-shit crazy to explore that possibility once more.

Suddenly the sounds of footsteps behind me alerted me to the fact that Edward was behind me—diligently doing what he could to help me out with breakfast—getting my coffee and setting the table, while I made omelets.

Now, usually, that would be adorable to me—he helping me out, but today, it was anything but. Today it annoyed me—not because I wanted him to make breakfast, but because he was avoiding touching me like I was going to take his virtue or some shit! _Is it too much to ask that he wrap his arms around me from behind and then kiss me good morning like he had done when Carlisle and Esme were here?_

I stifled a sniffle. God! I was feeling like an emotional wreck. There were so much feelings and musings running through me that I was afraid I might lash out any time. As we sat to have our breakfasts, I looked at the calendar in my iphone—_Shit! It was the time for Aunt Flo's visit! I hope I don't get PMS this month! Rose always says I turn into a mean bitch when I get PMS._

**EPOV**

As we headed out the door towards my car, Bella suddenly stopped. I looked back at her and saw her frowning. "Bella?" I asked.

The frown deepened on her forehead. "We have been working together for over a month now and it's always you, who's doing the driving. We should take my truck today."

I hid my grimace at the mention of her horrible medium of transport. _That thing belongs to a scrap yard!_ I didn't voice my thoughts though and instead, just said, "The car's faster, Bella. It will take almost twice the time if we take the truck." _Not to mention the fact that we could be stranded on the road if it stops working again._

Bella's eyes flashed with anger as soon as the words left my mouth and she snapped at me, "Hey, I may not own a shiny new sports car but don't dish on my truck." I was about to say that I was just pointing out facts, but she continued, "If you don't want to be seen with my truck that's fine. You go in your shiny Volvo. I will go in my beat-up truck… alone. I don't _need _you to be with me."

With that, she strode off towards her truck and within a few minutes, she and her beloved truck was out of the garage while I stood gaping at the tail-lights. _What the hell was that about?_

**-OTC-**

During the first half of my work day, I received nothing but the stink eye from Bella. First when she saw that I had arrived earlier than her, she pursed her lips… though I might have smirked at her, trying to make her laugh. _Well, that backfired._

The next time was during our morning round, when I brushed her knuckles with my fingers in a soothing motion as we both bent down to pick up her pen. However, the touch didn't seem to soothe her at all. Instead, she snatched her hand away from me as if I had singed her skin.

When she came up to my room to hand me over a few prescriptions to sign, I decided to ask her flat-out. "Bella, are you okay?" I started, "You've been acting a bit strange this morning."

She sneered at me before saying scathingly, "Oh, I am just _dandy_, Dr. Cullen. You should not concern yourself about me."

I frowned at her tone and said, "Bella, you are my wife. I should be concerned about you. If you tell me what's wrong…"

She didn't let me finish. She stood up from her seat and glowered at me. "I cannot spell every-fucking-thing for you, Edward. If you don't know what's wrong, then it's _not_ your concern."

After that sudden outburst, she left my office, making me gape at the slammed door. I didn't know what's wrong but I was going to find out.

**-OTC-**

When during lunch Jasper told me and a sulking Bella that Rosalie had the day off, I realized who I would have to ask to know what was bugging Bella. Rosalie was her best friend. Surely she'd know what was wrong with my Bella. Making an excuse for finishing up some paperwork, I got out of the cafeteria and dashed toward my office.

After the fourth ring, Rosalie picked up and grumbled into the phone, "It either should be _very_ important like you are dying right now, or you better find a good hiding place, because I am going to kill you the moment I get out of bed, Cullen."

I scoffed at her threat and said, "Good afternoon to you too, Rosalie."

She grumbled something else what sounded like another threat before asking me in a groggy voice, "Okay, Cullen, what the fuck did you do? I am guessing this is about Bella. I swear if you pull a dick-head move on her once more, I would castrate you myself. You won't get away if you hurt my girl again."

I rolled my eyes at her continued threats of violence, and replied in a forced-polite tone, "Listen Rosalie, I know you care a lot for Bella. But so do I—I care for her enough to call and listen to your threats just to make sure that she's alright."

Rosalie was silent for a few seconds, and when she spoke she sounded alert as she asked me, "What is wrong with Bella, Edward? Is she alright? Should I come over? Just tell me where she is and I will come out there as fast as I can."

I sighed. "I don't know what's wrong with her, Rosalie. She has been acting strange. We were fine last night. But this morning, since she woke up, she's been cranky as hell. It's like she's mad at me for something. The only problem is I don't know what I have done. Everything I do or say seems to incense her even more. Do you know what's bothering her?"

"NO! I—wait…" suddenly there was some shuffling noise followed by a snicker. "Yeah. I think I know what's bothering her all right." I could hear the mirth in her voice.

"I just told you that your best friend maybe in some sort of anxiety and you're laughing?" I let my frustration and anger slip into the words.

Rosalie instantly sobered up as she said, "She's not having an anxiety attack, Edward. If I am correct—and I am fairly certain that I am—she's in need of her chocolate and Ian fix."

That confused me even more and I snapped at her, "What? Why does she need chocolate? And who the fuck is Ian?"

Rosalie laughed. "Emmett is right. You _are_ a worry-wart. It's nothing, Edward. Bella's probably PMSing. You are a doctor for fuck's sake. You should know about this shit. Anyway, B gets very cranky during this time. Don't take it as a personal insult. Just give her a lot of chocolates, preferably _Ferrero Rocher_ or _Crunch_. And when you get home, find her stash of DVDs. There's a series named _The Vampire Diaries_. Ian's one of the leading actors. Once she gets a few chocolates in her and is watching TVD, she'd be alright."

I felt a surge of jealousy for the fucker named Ian. _Why does he get to calm down_ my _wife?_ But I sighed and thanked Rosalie before hanging up. Now I just had to go to the vending machine and find as many chocolates as I could.

**-OTC-**

"Edward, I need your help." I was about to call Bella to have her meet me at my office when she came barging in and closed the door behind her.

My brows knitted as I asked her, "With what, Bella? Is everything alright? Do you need to take the rest of the day off?" _She must be in some sort of discomfort to be this cranky._ Taber's medical dictionary didn't tell me the exact behavior of a woman during PMS. Yeah—I checked it out after hanging up with Rosalie. _I am a geek, don't judge me._

Bella shook her head before looking down at her hands in her lap. When I heard a sniffle, I realized she was crying. Immediately I walked around my desk and crouched down beside her. I tentatively placed one hand on her shoulder and when she didn't shrug it off; I boldly cupped her face in my hands and wiped her tears.

I wanted to protect her from everything that was out there to make her cry. I wanted to wrap her in my arms and hold her tightly to make the pain go away; but I couldn't. So I pleaded helplessly, "Tell me, Baby. What is it that you need? I will give you the world if you need it, Bellarina. Just tell me, Baby. Tell me and whatever you need—it's yours."

She sniffed before giving me a watery smile. Then she blushed and whispered, "I need… I need… tampons." _What the fuck?_

I could feel my eyes bugging out of my head as I let go of Bella's face. After opening and closing my mouth for several moments, I finally managed to ask in a strangled voice, "What?"

Bella blushed again as she repeated her request. I closed my eyes thinking—_this is_ not _happening to me._ When I opened my eyes again, I met Bella's hopeful ones, and stammered out, "B-but, Bella, I-I am a guy. I can't buy t-tampons."

Immediately, my blushing bride turned into a fire-breathing dragon as she snapped, "You just promised to give me the world. Well, I don't need the world. I need tampons. And because Rose is off duty today, that means if I go down to the pharmacy, I would have to deal with Victoria's cougar ass and her skanky side-kick, Maggie. I refuse to face either of those bitches today. So you would have to get it for me."

I helplessly pleaded my case once again, "But baby, do you want me near a cougar and a skank? Maybe it will be better if you asked Angela or Jessica…"

She stopped me before I could finish. "First, the cougar doesn't mix work with pleasure so you'll be safe. And the skank, is interested in me… not you. Secondly, I am not going to announce to everyone in the hospital that I am having my period, so everyone else is out. And that leaves you—so get on to it, mister."

I face-palmed before sighing. _Why is it so hard to handle a PMSing woman?_

**-OTC-**

"_You are so fucking whipped, Cullen, it's not even funny!_" I cursed myself as I hurried down the street across the hospital to the 24-hour pharmacy. I know there was a pharmacy inside the hospital, but there was no way in hell that I was about to go up there and ask for tampons. So this pharmacy would have to do.

"Good afternoon, Son, how can I help you?" the elderly gentleman behind the counter asked me.

I grimaced because there was no way to word the reply without sounding lame. "I was… uh… I was looking for… _tampons_." I whispered the last word out like it was a bad word, making the man give a hearty laughter.

"Wife or girlfriend?" he asked with a stupid smile still on his lips.

I scowled at him and replied, "Wife. Can you just pack a box for me? I am in a hurry."

The man chuckled. "What we do for the women we love, huh? Well, I will get right on to it as soon as you tell me which brand you are looking for."

I decided to overlook the L-word for the moment and gulped, hearing there were brands of those things to choose from. I didn't know shit about what Bella preferred! So after a beat, I said, "I don't know anything about a brand. Just give me the one that sells the most."

He nodded before hammering on the next nail. "Do you know the absorbency type?"

I shuddered, not really wanting to be seen buying tampons by anyone from work. I considered calling Bella to ask her, but the thought of her disappointed voice saying that I was a worthless husband stopped me. I thought for a moment and then responded, "Listen, I have to get back to work. Can you just hand me some of the regular stuff? I really don't care about brands and stuff; just help me out here, man."

The man opened his mouth to say something else, but then thought better of it—_wise decision old man!_ After fiddling around, he handed me a shopping bag and after paying, I ran out of there like a bat out of hell. _If Em finds out about this,_ _I am never going to live it down!_

**BPOV**

"_I am such a bitch! Why did I act like a bitch to Edward? He was being so sweet, and I totally overlooked his adorableness. That's the PMS… not me. He'll understand when I explain though, right?_" I was bitch-slapping myself for the unreasonable bout of bitchiness I had unleashed on my husband. I was still raking my brain for ways to apologize to him when my pager went off.

I quickly checked the screen to see Edward was paging me—which meant he was back… with my tampons. _Oh fuck! Fucking fuckity fuck! I had sent my _kind-of-an-acquaintance_ husband on a _tampon _run! What the fuck was I thinking?_ I could feel the tears of humiliation already stinging my eyes as I knocked on his office door.

As soon as I heard his beautiful voice calling me to come in, I almost catapulted myself inside the room before closing the door behind me. I was sure my cheeks were bright red as I tried to organize my thoughts to start apologizing. But Edward interrupted my mumbled apologies. "Here you go. I didn't know anything about brands or other shit, but I got what the guy at the pharmacy said was most commonly used. I hope this helps."

I took a look at his proffered hand holding a box of tampons and let loose the tears. _Fuck! I was being such a crybaby!_ Through my blurred eyes, I saw Edward put down the box and then hurry to my side. He hesitated for a second before wrapping me in his arms and tucking my head in the crook of his neck. I clung to him and inhaled his honey and sunshine smell.

He was whispering soothing words in my ear, when I lost my brain-to-mouth filter and blurted out, "Do you know how _good_ you smell? It's like honey and sunshine and… you. I love your smell." As soon as the words left my mouth, Edward stopped whispering and tried to hold me away from him to look into my face. But I was too mortified to let him see my cherry-tomato look. So I just buried my face closer to his chest and counted to ten, hoping like hell that he'll forget what I said when I got to ten.

When I got to eight, however, he broke the silence and asked me, "Bella? What did you say?"

I finally peeked at him and met his curious glance. "I… um… I kinda lose my brain-to-mouth filter sometimes. It's all genetics, I swear. Reneé does this too. And I am also really sorry for being a bitch this morning. You can blame it all on PMS though. But I have to take the blame for making you go on a tampon run. I am sorry for that. I must have been humiliating for you."

He murmured something that sounded like '_You have no idea_' before smirking at me. "I will make you a deal then. I will forgive you, if you promise never to breathe a word of the said _run_ to anyone we know… or anyone, period."

I offered him a faint smile and replied, "I think I can do that. So, we're okay?" I had to know we were going to be okay.

He grinned back at me. "We are perfect, Bellarina. I can never hold a grudge against you. We are always going to be perfect. Here, I got something for you… to give you a mood lift."

I looked at his outstretched hand and saw my lifeline during this horrible time of the month—chocolates. I gave him a 1000-watt smile and grabbed the chocolates. Then I kissed his cheek, thanked him and quickly ran out of the room before I could say something sappy like '_You are perfect._' It may sound sappy but it was also true.

**EPOV**

On my way home, I picked up dinner from an Italian restaurant to save Bella the trouble of cooking. When I got home, Bella was already there. Curled up on the couch in a short t-shirt and a pair of shorts, she looked so little, so vulnerable that I again felt the urge to wrap myself around her to take away all the discomfort she was feeling.

My footsteps made her look up, and then her eyes landed on the bag of food in my hands and suddenly her face brightened with a blinding smile. That smile made all the stress of my day go away just like that. I walked up to her and held up the bag. "I was thinking we could have Italian tonight. What do you say?"

"I say you are right about that. Now we just need something else…" She looked thoughtful as if trying to decide what else would make the night better. Suddenly other half of Rosalie's advice came back to me and I grimaced… _she needed her _Ian fix_. I wish I could kill that fucker!_

I quickly rearranged my features to not to let her know that I was feeling jealous of a freaking fictional character. Instead, I gave her a smile and said, "I think I know. How about I change while you pick out something for us to watch? Then we can have a TV dinner… just like you prefer?"

She nodded appreciatively before moving towards our combined DVD collections. I had a feeling she would pick to watch that stupid fucker anyway.

**-OTC-**

When I had changed and given myself a lecture about not being a jealous asshole, I started for the living room. As I entered the room, I saw Bella looking restlessly at the doorway as if to check what was taking me so long. When she saw me she grinned. "Hey, I put on my favorite TV show. I hope you will like it."

Her favorite TV show was Friends, wasn't it? I curiously looked at the DVD cover lying on top of the table as I said, "I like Friends, Bella. It's a good show."

She shook her head and said, "No, no. It's not Friends. It's The Vampire Diaries." _Fuck my life!_ I could feel the green monster of jealousy trying to rear its ugly head but I tried to ignore it and gave her an inquisitive look.

Immediately, Bella launched into the back story of the show, making me feel ridiculous for already hating the show before watching it. After a few minutes, she hit play and we started on our Bolognese as the show began. After the first episode was over, she hit pause and looked at me. "Did you like it? Damon's great, isn't he?"

I swallowed my food before answering, "You like the _villain_ of the show? The guy is a _crow_, Bella. He is a vampire _and _a magician? What the hell is that? He cannot be both. And, stealing your brother's girlfriend—that's just irksome. He's not a good character."

She glared at me. "Do NOT rain on my Damon parade. He is not the villain. He's the hero. And being a vampire doesn't mean that he cannot have any special abilities. He's awesome."

I scowled back at her and replied sarcastically, "Oh yeah, he's the _anti_- hero, alright. I didn't know you were into bad boys, Bella."

Bella huffed and said petulantly, "I am NOT into bad boys. It's just a TV show. Why are you making such a big deal of it?"

I felt anger getting the best of me as I grumpily replied back, "Because I don't like you fawning over some stupid character." She opened her mouth, but I carried on, "How would you feel if I was drooling over the female character, Elena, huh?"

She furrowed her brows and then murmured, "Elena is not your type. Besides, I am not _fawning_ over Damon. I was just…" She sighed before continuing, "Okay I get it. I may have an unhealthy obsession over the character of Damon. But… are you… jealous, Edward?" She looked at me like the idea of my getting jealous over her was unfathomable.

I closed my eyes and pinched the bridge of my nose before answering her, "Bella, I have never been the typical jealous guy. But you make me feel like a jealous asshole. And I am sorry if this makes you hate me, but I want you all to myself. I want to be your one and only, Bella."

I kept my eyes averted from hers, afraid of seeing the disgust in her eyes. When a soft hand caressed my cheek, I looked up into her beautiful chocolate brown eyes. She threaded her fingers in my hair and tugged me to her.

When we were inches apart from each other, she whispered, letting her breath fan over my face, "I can never hate you, Edward. You are the most amazing, thoughtful and perfect man in my world. And the jealousy doesn't make me mad _at_ you… it makes me mad _for_ you."

Then she brushed her pink lips across mine, and suddenly, I needed her like the air I needed to keep on breathing. I brought one hand up to clutch the back of her neck while the other dug into her hip, holding her close to me. As I deepened the kiss, she let out a moan making me smile widely—because I was the one making her feel like this.

After what seemed like hours, I felt her struggling to breathe and I moved my kisses to the side of her face—from her jaw to right behind her ear. She shivered against me, and I realized that I had found one of her sweet spots. I wanted to find all the ways I could make her shiver like that. But it would have to wait. Bella seemed to realize that too, because she moved her mouth to kiss me softly… once… twice… thrice… before detaching our lips.

I opened my eyes to meet the bright eyes of my wife. She gave me a shy smile before blushing, and I whispered to her, "Feeling better, Mrs. Cullen?"

She nodded, "Yeah. A lot better, Dr. Cullen."

I couldn't help but ask, "So that means I can cure you better than Ian?"

She grinned before saying, "Uh-huh. By the way, who was Ian again?"

With that, we both burst into laughter and I felt a fluttering in my heart at the sound of her giggles. _Something is happening to my heart and I am not sure I can handle it… yet._

**A/N: One of my friends once told me, "If a guy agrees to go and buy tampons for you, he truly loves you." You think that applies for Edward? ;)**

**Leave me your thoughts and review, please?**

**The results for Twilight sci-fi fantasy contest are out. My story won two awards: for Judges' Vote- 3****rd**** place and First Time Writer. It's now posted in ffn. Go check it out. It's titled Radioactive Love.**

**If you read it, let me know your take at my attempt and review because I might write a multi-chap sci-fi story once OTC is completed. :)**

**Take care.**

**Ann**


	32. Chapter-32: Two L-Words

**Disclaimer: No copyrights infringement intended. I don't own Twilight saga or any of its awesome characters.**

**A/N: Thanks to everyone who has reviewed, favorited, put on alert or simply... read OTC. You guys make my days a little bit brighter. Thank you.**

**Enjoy Chapter-32 and I'll see you at the end of this chapter! :-)**

**Chapter-32: Two L-Words**

**BPOV**

_I could feel his hot breath against my skin. His scent enveloped me like a comforting blanket. Slowly, he kissed down the column of my throat before nudging the valley between my breasts with his nose. He whispered my name against my skin as he descended down my flat stomach, before dipping his tongue into my belly button._

_"__Bella, say my name. I want everyone to know that you are mine," he demanded before sucking the skin stretching over my hip bone._

_"__E-Edward," I whimpered, wanting him to continue his south-bound journey, but terrified of the feelings he was invoking in me._

_"__Louder, Baby. Tell me who you belong to. Let me hear you. You need to tell me what you are thinking, Bellarina." He continued on with his assault, only now, his lips were right over the apex of my thighs._

_"__God! Edward! I am thinking… I think I-I may be falling for you. I think I love you, Edward." I stifled a moan as he looked into my eyes from between my legs. Those smoldering green eyes threatened to tear me apart._

_"__Stop lying to yourself, Baby. You know you love me. Admit it or I'll stop," he insisted._

_I vehemently shook my head, not wanting him to stop and then sighed. "You are right. I do love you. I love you, Edward Cullen."_

_He smiled at me before moving a few inches lower. And then…._

Beep… beep… beep…

_"__Fucking alarm clock! I am going to break the fucker into fragments before throwing the particles away in the sewer._" I cursed my Mickey Mouse alarm clock before slapping it to shut it up. It was the sixth time the fucker had interrupted my dreams.

For the last few weeksm I had been dreaming of the same thing—Edward and me. It was not the same dream though. The first time I had such a dream, I had woken up with a start because that shit felt too real to be simple a mindless fantasy. But then, I had another and then another such dream. Every time, it went just a little further though, making my cold showers last just a bit longer.

It might have something to do with the shirt I had stolen from Edward's load of laundry, a few weeks back. Don't think of me as a crazy stalker bitch. I just happened to like Edward's scent… and maybe the idea of it enveloping me while I slept. So after I returned it inconspicuously a few days later, I might have exchanged it with another one. C'mon, I couldn't keep wearing his dirty shirt to bed for two weeks straight! Besides, his smell was too delicious to let it go to waste on a washing machine. I fucking loved his smell.

_Love…_

This morning's dream was different than the others though. Not because I was too freaking wet down there after that, but because of the L-word. When Dream Edward had demanded that I confess my love for him, Dream Bella had accepted that as a fact. Was it a way for my subconscious to let me know that I was falling for my ridiculously handsome husband, or a moment of weakness of my lust-induced brain?

_Lust… now that's another L-word. Which one did I feel for Edward?_

**-OTC-**

After I had taken a cold shower to control my teenage-boy like libido, I got downstairs to prepare breakfast. But it looked like Edward had beaten me there today. As I entered the kitchen, I could smell coffee in the air, giving me an instant mood-lift. And then, I met the sweet smile on Edward's face as he placed bowls for cereal and milk.

Looking at him, I felt a stirring inside me. Nope, what I felt for Edward was not lust. When he kissed my cheek and wished me good morning, before holding out my chair for me and my heart did a summersault, I knew it—I had feelings for Edward. But feelings of what? Love or something else? _Now how do I even know if it is love? What the hell did I know of love anyway?_

Throughout breakfast, I tried to inspect my emotions as Edward smiled and chatted with me about random shit. After he left to get ready for work, I decided to clean up. As I drained the bowls, I thought to myself, "_Nah-uh, whatever it is I am feeling for Edward is so not lust. So does that mean it can be… love? Am I falling in love with Edward?_"

Just then, Edward came down the stairs in a simple light blue button down shirt and dark jeans, and I felt my breath leave my lungs with a _whoosh_. He was so fucking beautiful, I wanted to cry. And then it hit me. "_Oh fuck! I am lusting after my own husband! I am so going to hell!_"

**EPOV**

I had just finished my morning rounds and was about to review some MRI scans of a new patient, when my phone started ringing. I picked it up and grinned at the caller ID. _Emmett_.

"Hey Em, how's it going, bro? I came over last night to invite your for dinner, but apparently you were out," I greeted him.

I heard Em heave a sigh before he said back to me, "I am fucked, Ed. I was out with Rosie last night and it suddenly hit me with the force of a brick wall."

I was confused at the sad tone in his voice and asked, "Wait. Slow down; what happened? Is everything alright between you and Rosalie? I saw her briefly this morning and she looked fine."

"Exactly. She's F-i-n-e. And I am not," he almost yelled in my ear.

I held the phone a bit further away from my ear and then asked carefully, "Why are you upset that she's fine? Did she dump your sorry ass or anything?" I snickered, trying to lighten the mood.

Em cursed softly before replying, "No, she did not dump my sorry ass. What she has done is worse; much worse." When I didn't say anything else, he sighed again. "She has made me fall for her man. I am in love with her."

_Whoa! That was so not what I was expecting!_ I tried to gather my zero-knowledge about matters of the heart as I tried to cheer him up. "Well… uhh… that's good though, isn't it? I mean, now I won't have to find an elderly facility to drop you off to when you get all old and alone."

My joke didn't work. I could feel his glower as he grumbled into the phone, "Stop fucking with me, Eddie. I am having a crisis here, man."

I sobered up at his tone. "Okay, okay. You don't need to call me names. I am here for you, Cuz. What is this crisis you have going on?"

He mumbled, "I don't think Rosie feels the same way for me. We have been together roughly a month and a week, how can I fall for her anyway? You know me, dude. I don't do this type of sappy stuff."

I smirked, "I guess, Rosalie Hale is one hell of a girl to bring your playboy ass down to the earth. Did you tell her anything? Confess your love to her?"

He cursed again before saying, "No. I don't know if she wants me to say something like this to her. I mean how do you tell someone you love them? How did you tell BabyBell?"

I choked on my tongue as soon as he asked me the question. I quickly reached for the water bottle on my desk. After taking a drink of water, I rasped out, "What would I tell Bella?"

He huffed before explaining it to me. "How did you tell BabyBell that you love her? I need pointers, Dude."

I stammered, "N-no. I… uhh… I don't… Bella and I are… we're still getting to know each other, Em."

He almost shouted in my ear again, "You are kidding, right? Ed, anyone with eyes… hell even one eye, can see that you guys are in love. Are you really that clueless? I thought you were supposed to be the intelligent brother between the two of us."

I scowled at the phone and said, "Firstly, stop shouting or you'd make me deaf. Secondly, I am not clueless. Bella and I are not there yet. We cannot be. Bella hasn't ever told me anything like that."

"Have you told her about your feelings, Ed?" I didn't answer. Because I knew I had feelings for Bella, but it was not _love_. It could not be… I didn't know the first thing about being in love. When I didn't say anything, Emmett started talking again. "Ed, BabyBell may not have said anything to you, but she has shown you plenty. The girl takes care of your crazy ass. She has not said a thing about getting out of this marriage. She has tolerated our family's invasion in your personal lives. She loves Aunt Esme and Uncle Carlisle. Hell, she even loves Alice—even when she's being a pain in the ass. What else do you need, man?"

I didn't know what to say. After a few minutes of silence, I said, "But that doesn't necessarily mean she has feelings for me. I-I don't even know jack about being in a relationship, Em. How would I know if what I feel for her is love or just plain crush?"

Emmett seemed to ponder on my question before asking me, "What exactly do you feel for her, Bro? Does that qualify as simple crush? Or is it something more?"

I sighed. "I don't know, Em. This last month, I have had to resort to taking cold showers so many times that I have honestly lost count. She makes me pop a boner with a simple blush, man. What can it be other than lust?"

He prodded me when I stopped talking. "And? That's all you feel? No other feelings?"

I groaned before laying it all out before him. "I feel very… protective of her. A few weeks back, I felt insanely jealous of some fictional character because she seemed to think he was _awesome_. When I hear her laughter, I feel all my tension of the day leave me. When I see her blush like crazy, I feel a surge of possessiveness. I want to be the only one to make her blush like that. I find myself grinning like an idiot every time she spares me a smile. Her giggle is like the most beautiful sound to my ears, Man. What the fuck is happening to me?"

Emmett snorted. "Seems like you have been infected too, brother. You are definitely in love with BabyBell. The sooner you accept the fact, the less complicated your life will be."

I tried to tone down the seriousness and smirked. "Just like the 'uncomplicated' status of your current situation?"

Emmett yelled at me for being a smart-ass and after a few minutes of small talk, he hung up. Though we hadn't been able to find a solution to his problem, Em sure left me in a big mess. _How do I know if I really love Bella? And if I did; how do I find out if she feels the same way? Fucking Emmett, I am gonna kick his ass for messing with my head._

**BPOV**

My life was so freaking complicated, it wasn't even worth making a sarcastic remark about it. Everything about my life was getting complicated. Well, no; not everything… only the parts concerning Edward were complicated. But right at this moment, it seemed like Edward was in every part of my life.

I looked at my best friend with a scowl on my face. The bitch had it all so simple! She was in love with Emmett and she was pretty sure he returned her affection. See… s-i-m-p-l-e! My life however, was anything but. Let alone knowing about Edward's feelings—I wasn't even sure about my own feelings for him. _Ugh! Feelings suck!_

**-OTC-**

As I was walking back to the ward after my break, a thought struck me. _I have to figure out the difference between lust and love if I am going to sort through my feelings for Edward._

I quickly considered the people I had access to who could help me out. First up was my best friend, Rose. But when I recalled the giddy love-struck fool-like smile playing on her face from just moments before, I decided not to worry her with my contradicting thoughts. Besides, the Rosalie before meeting Em, went through guys so fast that all she'll know about would be lust. And I did not want to make her question her feelings for Emmett. So she was out.

Let's see… my parents—_oh hell, no_. Knowing my mother's over-sharing tendencies, she would launch into a detailed description of her lusting after my father which even Sulphuric Acid wouldn't be able to remove from my brain!

Next up was Esme—_don't think so_. I adored the woman like my own mother, but I just could not discuss my feelings of lust for her son without ensuring that I get institutionalized afterwards.

Who else… Alice? _Na-uh, she'll make a huge deal of it, which will probably end with me reading chick magazines._ Plus, I did not think she had been in love with anyone other than Gucci or Prada by that point.

Hmm… Jasper. I mentally snorted. The day Jasper Hale was going to be distributing love advices, would be the day the sun decided to rise from the west.

There was absolutely no way I was going to ask Jessica or Lauren because as far as I could imagine, they were only aware about lust. And that would be because they used silicone balls—also known as their fake boobs—to attract lust in stupid-ass losers like Mike Newton.

I was feeling hopeless by that point because I honestly had no one to talk to about this shit. _Wait, that's not true… I can always talk to Angela. She's sweet and understanding. She is married to her high school sweetheart, Ben Cheney. Yes! She's the one I should talk to!_ I mentally fist-pumped, before hurrying off to find Angela.

**-OTC-**

The rest of the day, I tried to get Angela alone for a bit of girl talk, but it looked like God was not interested in letting me have such talk at all. Because there was a little girl in bed no- 5 who would not let go of her '_Angel Nurse'_ no matter how much she was needed elsewhere.

It was kind of cute, not to mention highly satisfying seeing Jessica really working to cover for Angela, for once. But when I needed Angela's advice—not so much cute!

"Oh there you are, Bella. I was just looking for you." The sound of Angela's voice made me miss knocking Jessica's stupid-ass to the ground, by this much. Though if I was being honest, there was a higher possibility of my being knocked on my ass too, but… _eh! Who the hell cares for honesty where my clumsiness was concerned right?_

I quickly turned to Angela, trying not to sneer at Jessica's whispered cursing in the background. "Hey Angela, what is it? Did little Ms. Lily finally allow you to leave her side?"

Angela smiled. "I know Jessica thinks she's a brat for demanding my continual presence, but she's really a sweet girl."

I rolled my eyes. "Don't let Jessica get to you. She's just fuming because she has had to make her big ass move for a change."

Angela laughed with me before sobering up. She straightened her glasses and said, "Okay. Before I forget why I was looking for you, I need to ask you a question." When I looked curiously at her, she smiled sheepishly. "Lily has been begging me to let her have chocolate. And I kinda promised her to bring some with her dinner. Is chocolate going to be interactive with her medications?"

I smiled back at her. "That's it? Angela, she's on pain killers now. They usually do not have much food-drug interactions anyway. But yeah, chocolate can slow down the drug dissolution. I think you can give her some fruit flavored ones. Try to avoid the richer chocolates—you know, the ones with higher fat content. If you do that, then she'll be okay to have chocolates."

She looked relieved and said, "Thank you, Bella. I was feeling very guilty for not being able to keep my promise." When I waved her thanks away, she turned to go back to the ward.

I quickly reached out to grab her wrist. "Angela, wait. Do you have a few minutes? I needed to talk to you about something."

She nodded. "Yeah, Lily just went to sleep. I told her mother to have me paged if I am needed. What do you want to talk about?"

Without letting go of her hand, I led her towards the nearest vending machine, thinking that if asked, we could pretend to be looking through chocolates for the patient. When we got there and Angela had grabbed a granola bar for herself, I decided to hit her with my dilemma.

"Angela, you love Ben right? Wait, that's a stupid question. Of course you love him. What I was trying to ask was that when did you know that you love him?" I stopped myself from clamping a hand over my mouth, in case I started rambling again.

Angela looked surprised before answering. "You're right, Bella, I love him. And honestly, I cannot remember a time when I have not been in love with him. Even when he is in his worst days, I love him. Even when he is being a dork with Dr. Hale and Dr. Marks, I still find myself falling more in love with him."

She sighed, as if remembering the first days of her relationship with Ben. I just stood there—mentally going over what she had said about being in love. I looked at the twinkle in her eyes, clearly showing the love she held for Ben. _I wonder if I would ever look in the mirror and find myself all starry eyed over the love I might feel for Edward some day._

I was so lost in my thought that I didn't hear her question, the first time, when Angela asked me. When she waved her hand over my face, I quickly regained the control of my thoughts and said apologetically, "Sorry, I kind of zoned out, I guess. What were you saying, Angela?"

She looked inquisitively at me, but did not try to prod me to make excuse for the zone-out. Instead, she nodded knowingly before repeating her question, "I was asking why you were asking me about this stuff. If it is anything you need to talk about, I am here to help you out."

It was a tempting offer—sharing the secret of my marriage to Edward with Angela. But I would never break Edward's trust like that. _Besides, I am a gutless chicken who is still not prepared to announce it to everyone, in case he calls it all off,_ I mentally grimaced.

So I lied—hoping like hell that it was a convincing one—and replied, "Oh… umm… it is actually about a friend of mine. She got married to a guy without knowing him properly… kind of an arranged thing, you know. And now, she is wondering if she is falling in love with the guy. But that's just crazy, right? I mean no one can fall in love within two months." I psshawed, trying to make the lie sound more convincing.

Angela scrunched up her eyebrows before asking, "Who is this friend? Is it Rosalie? I can swear I have been seeing her with a big guy lately. Is that the husband?"

I resisted the urge of banging my head against the vending machine and tried to keep a straight face as I shook my head. "No, no, that's not who I have been talking about. Uhh, you don't know this friend. She's from middle-school. We have kept in touch after all these years… growing up in a small town, you know?"

Angela accepted my babbling without a hint of suspicion and answered my question, "Love can be different for everyone, Bella. You cannot measure love in a time frame. I know the notion is almost extinct now, but love-at-first-sight still happens. Tell your friend not to worry. The moment her heart decides to inform her head about it, the truth may hit her with the force of a brick wall. Or maybe, the truth can sneak up on her without her conscious knowledge."

I tried not to scowl because the way everything was with Edward, I was pretty sure it will not be a brick wall but a titanium one for me… if what I was feeling was, indeed, love.

I cleared my throat and pitched the next crisis I was facing. "Well, this is going to sound ridiculous, but you once said that your dad was a reverend, right? So you must know some stuff about sin and hell… "

Angela grinned at me. "Just as much as you know about homicide investigations because you dad's a cop." I glared at her, making her bring her hands up in a motion of surrender. "Alright, alright, I may know _some_ stuff. What sins have you committed, Swan?"

I huffed and snarked. "Excuse me, for trying to help out a friend. I have not committed _any_ sin. I was merely curious about my friend."

She smiled encouragingly, making my anger seem futile at the face of such an understanding girl. "Okay then, let me rephrase. What sin has your friend committed?"

I tried to sound stern as I warned her, "No laughing at my question though, alright?" After she nodded her acquiescence, I continued in a low whisper, "See the thing is, she may not be sure if she's in love with him or not; but she still finds him attractive—_very_ attractive. And she was wondering, if… lusting after her own husband is a sin or not. She knows that lust is a sin and all, but she's married to the man…"

I abruptly stopped, realizing I was babbling again, and when Angela didn't answer me after ten seconds (I counted in my head…), I peeked at her, only to see her looking dubiously at me. I arched an eyebrow—silently asking her what the matter was—when she decided to break her silence.

She looked down at her feet as if desperately trying not to break into a giggle before looking back up and said, "Bella, I am pretty sure lusting after one's own spouse is not a sin. Otherwise no person of cloth would have children, would they? And there is no saying if the lust is accompanied by love or not. I mean maybe your friend does love her husband but lust, being a physical response, is more prominent to her than her inner feelings. If she was my friend, I would tell her to search within her heart and she would know the answer to her questions without feeling guilty of committing a sin."

_That's easy for you to say, buddy! You have had almost ten years to know and fall for your husband._ My bitchy mind was mad about not getting a straight answer. But I reined her in, knowing that a girl like Angela would not lead someone to a wrong way. So I smiled gratefully at her and was about to thank her when her pager went off.

She quickly checked the screen before grinning. "It's time for the chocolate obsessed little lady's medicines. I'll catch up with you later, Bella." She started moving away from me and just before rounding the corner,she smiled at me and said, "Tell you friend good luck! Things are about to get complicated once the heart gets involved!"

I sighed, thinking to myself, "_You're telling me!_"

**A/N: So… which L-word is it? ;)**

**Please share your thoughts with me and leave a review. :)**

**Take care.**

**Ann**


	33. Chapter-33: Halloween Horror Stories

**Disclaimer: No copyrights infringement intended. I don't own Twilight saga or any of its awesome characters.**

**A/N: Thanks to everyone who has reviewed, favorited, put on alert or simply... read OTC. You guys make my days a little bit brighter. Thank you.**

**Enjoy Chapter-33 and I'll see you at the end of this chapter! :-)**

**Chapter-33: Halloween Horror Stories**

**BPOV**

By the middle of October, many changes had taken place in our lives. First of all, Alice officially moved into the apartment above Rosalie and Jasper's. She had started decorating her very own boutique and hoped to be open for business by the Thanksgiving holidays.

Secondly, Jasper had finally found his guts and asked Alice out on a proper date. From then on, I had seen Alice twice at the hospital—both times glued to Jasper's side. So it looked like they were moving in the right direction.

Thirdly, Rosalie and Emmett had announced their mutual affections for each other—yes, announced not confessed—quite loudly, in fact. Because it happened on a crowed evening, at Joe's, after work, where they sort of shouted the "_I love you_"s in front of every person present there—including Rosalie and my boss, Mr. Montgomery! Needless to say, Rose had been spending every night off she had with Emmett. And I really could not be happier for my best friend.

And finally, I had decided to take Angela's advice and go with the flow. Besides, even though the idea of sex with Edward was quite enticing, I was still not sure I was ready to go there. But I did not tell him that, not wanting to seem like a scared little virgin. I just did not push him to go beyond the occasional—_Okay! Pretty regular by this point_—heavy kissing… but that was it.

Though in the past few weeks, I had learned a lot about Edward. I knew that his favorite color was blue, that he used to play the piano when he was in the UK, that he was almost obsessed with adventure books and that his favorite superhero was batman.

I also learned some things that I did not tell him about. I now knew that Edward ran his fingers through his hair when he was agitated. I knew that he pinched the bridge of his nose when he was at the end of his patience. I knew that he secretly ate my Fruit Loops when he thought I wasn't around to see. I knew that he had started to consider Jasper and Ben as his friends, but was always acting irritated with Jasper, only because he was dating his sister.

I also knew that Edward was an amazing kisser. He had the ability to make me tingle all-over from just one touch of the tip of his tongue. I knew that he liked it when I tugged on his hair, trying to bring him closer to me. And I also knew that it drove him insane when I lightly nibbled at his bottom lip. Even though I didn't share my knowledge with him, I was keeping mental notes of this type of information—for the time we were ready for more.

I was feeling giddy at thought of going home with Edward in a few hours where we would probably have TV dinner and then cuddle and then kiss, before saying goodnight. Life was nice. I was brought out of my thoughts when Rosalie snapped her fingers in front of me.

"Earth to Bell! Where are you lost, girlfriend? Dreaming of a certain man in scrubs, are we?" I looked up to see Rose grinning at me.

I shrugged at her. "Meh! It's been a slow day. I had just switched off my brain for a few seconds."

She rolled her eyes before saying in her most sarcastic-bitch voice, "I believe you." I poked out my tongue at her and she laughed, and then patted the top of the table I was sitting on. "Move that cute little ass, Swan. There's a lottery going on to decide the Halloween shift. Director Uley has asked everyone to be at the conference room in five minutes."

I scowled. Director of the hospital, Samuel Uley, was a slick bastard. Since I had joined the hospital, I had heard stories of how he had back-stabbed more deserving men and women to get to his position. Personally, I had encountered the man just once in my four months in the hospital and that one time, he made me think of him as a chameleon.

Rose tugged my hand, making me stand up and reluctantly follow her to the conference room. Once we reached there, we saw it was already packed with most of the employees. I saw Edward sitting beside Dr. Wood, who was talking incessantly, making Edward nod from time to time out of politeness. I caught his eyes and gave him thumbs up, receiving a glower in return.

"I swear, you two can be so childish! Just tear off his clothes and fuck his brains out already, dude! All your cheesy shit makes me miss Em," Rose grumbled. I was about to snap back a sarcastic reply, but it looked like Rose's use of the F-word had attracted her supervisor, Victoria, who immediately joined us and started ticking of her plans of doing the dirty with the college boy who lived next door from her. _Lord, save the poor guy!_

We were saved from Victoria's cougar-like thoughts when Uley started off the lotteries. He first explained that those doing shifts on Halloween would be allowed to take vacation on Thanksgiving and vice-versa. Then he gave the signal to start off the lottery. It was to be done between the doctors under the same department, then the interns, then the nurses and so on.

From neurology, Edward picked the short straw, but Dr. Marcus Volturi offered to share the late night shift from 11 p.m. to the next morning until Edward could come in. However, Edward, being the ridiculously sweet and understanding man he was, accepted the offer on the condition of being on-call during the night anyway.

Among the interns, Austin Marks and Tyler Crowley along with Wood's interns Mia Parker and Olivia Reynolds were the selected. Jasper shot us a relieved smile, no doubt happy to be able to spend the night with Alice.

Then it was the turn for the nurses, Newton and Mallory were the ones chosen besides other two nurses from Volturi's team. Jessica cursed behind me. I mentally sniggered, "_Yeah, your skank buddy will be stuck in here while you go off to trick-or-treat for lame guys._"

Finally for the pharmacists, I was the one who drew the marked paper. But Ayesha, a Muslim pharmacist in Wood's shift, offered to take my place. I thought of spending the day playing dress-up with Alice while Edward worked alone and decided to propose the same deal as Edward. She gladly accepted and when my eyes met Edward's from across the room, he smirked as if he knew I didn't want to be away from him.

**-OTC-**

On the day of Halloween, Edward and I had started our shifts with a fairly good number of in-patients. There were three little kids admitted in our care—two boys and one girl—who happened to be friends. All of them had been in a tree-house related accident and had been diagnosed with concussions and slight nervous injuries. Among them, one boy, Tommy, was the most fortunate one with just a mild concussion. After having him under observation for the required time period, Edward signed his release form.

It was quite heart-breaking to see the friends part. Once Tommy had left with him Mom, the remaining kids, Alan and Lisa, looked around gloomily. I followed their gaze and realized that though the hospital had been decorated to keep in with spirit of the holiday, it did not make missing trick-or-treating easier.

I tried to cheer them up and walked up to Lisa's bedside. She heard me approach and turned her eyes on me. I put a big smile on my face and asked, "Are you feeling a bit better seeing your friend is alright?"

She nodded before mumbling, "I happy Tommy good. But miss candies." I didn't understand her broken words and kept looking at her questioningly.

Alan then decided to clear it up for me. "Sorry, Miss. Lisa is from Italy. She cannot speak English as good as us. What she was saying is that we are happy that Tommy is okay but we are going to miss getting candies this year."

I reached out and ruffled his hair and opened my mouth to say something to cheer them up. But before I could do so, Lisa gave an excited shriek while Alan started clapping. I looked behind me to see what was causing such reactions, only to see a guy in scrubs, lab coat and a batman mask standing behind me. Under the mask, I could see the beautiful smile of my husband._ He must've seen them look despondent as well._

Edward quickly walked forward and crouched down beside me, in between the two beds, and said, "If you cannot go to the candies, the candy would have to come to you."

Both children clapped and then Lisa asked, "Batman bring candies?"

Alan gave her a superior look before replying, "Of course, batman can do _anything_! That's why he's a superhero."

He turned toward Edward, hoping to get confirmation. Edward laughed at his audience's childish innocence and nodded. "Yes. Batman is amazing. He can bring you candy. In fact, he _has_ brought candies for you." With that, he shoved both hands in his scrub pant pockets and brought out two handfuls of candies. The children squealed and hugged Edward before taking the candies from him.

Standing a few steps behind them, I could not help but imagine a day in distant future—_very_ distant future—when Edward would be laughing and hugging our own children. _I think my ovaries are gonna explode!_

**EPOV**

On Halloween night, by the time Bella and I got home, it was already half past eleven. Sensing the fact that we'd probably be very tired when we got back, we had already found a few minutes of break and had our dinner in the hospital cafeteria. Since we were not supposed to be back until ten in the morning, we decided to have a beer and relax before heading off to bed.

Bella was sitting on the kitchen counter when I brought two bottles of coronas out of the refrigerator. I held one out to her, and she gladly accepted it before motioning me to join her. I stood across from her and leaned back on the opposite counter to face her. After a few minutes of silence, she smiled at me.

There was a mischievous glint in her eyes as she said, "So, I was quite impressed with Batman today."

I grinned crookedly at her and replied, "Batman is very happy to know that. After all, he was only trying to charm _you_."

She blushed before trying to change the subject and asked, "Where did you get the Batman mask anyway?"

I shrugged looking all nonchalant. "Oh, I have my means, baby." She just arched an eyebrow clearly looking through my shit. I grinned at her and said, "Okay. I may have seen Crowley and Marks fight over the thing. And being a very good resident, I resolved the dispute by taking possession of it, until they could agree to take turns in wearing it."

She giggled. "Oh yeah. You are a real disciplinarian, Smirky!" I smirked at her, only to hear the musical sound of her giggle once more.

After a few minutes of random talk, we started discussing our favorite movie characters when Bella suddenly brought up something I had forgotten until that moment. She was picking at the label of her bottle as she said, "You know, my all time favorite Harry Potter character used to be Sirius Black. But now, when I think of his name, I am always reminded of a traitor with the same last name."

I looked at her closely before asking with caution, "Are you talking about the guy on wheelchair at our wedding."

She shook her head. "Nah. That was Billy. I am talking about his son, Jacob Black." She almost spat out the name. I held my breath and mentally begged her to let me in her life.

She must have heard my mental begging or noticed my lack of regular breathing. Whatever the reason, she started talking. "You see Jacob used to be one of my best friends. He wasn't as close to me as Rose. But he was close enough. From the age of eleven to nineteen, we were friends. I used to wish to Santa to make him my big brother when we were little."

She sighed and rubbed her temple, before continuing, "Jacob was three years older than me and he went to a different school on the Indian Reservation near La Push. So I had no idea what lies he was spewing about his and my friendship in his school. He went off to college before me but we still remained friends—until it was time for me to go to college as well."

She stopped to take a sip of her beer and then continued, "He was going to the community college in Port Angeles and when he heard that I was about to come to Seattle to attend U-Dub, he… he must've hatched a plan… I don't know. The new years eve before I was set to leave for college, he came to me."

She looked down at her feet dangling above the ground. "Our fathers used to be best friends as well. So our families used to spend all big vacations together. That night, we had gone down to La Push to see the fireworks when he led me away from our parents and made a proposition. He said he knew I hadn't kissed anyone yet and he thought I should get my first kiss from someone who cared about me—meaning him."

I felt rage making its way into my heart as I heard her story. Bella peeked at me before saying, "I am very embarrassed to say that I allowed him to kiss me. I-It was nothing… just a peck on the lips which grossed me out. It felt like I was kissing my brother or something like that. I quickly ran away after that, making him promise me that he would not tell anyone about it."

I nodded at her, feeling relieved at the repulsion I could detect in her voice. Then her voice turned hard as she said, "So you can guess my shock when the next morning the asshole's parents came up to our house, determined to get me to wear his 'promise ring' because they had been convinced that their son and I was deeply in love."

I immediately tensed up and felt the urge to find Jacob Black and tear him into pieces, as soon as possible. Bella looked worried to see the hostile expression on my face, which made me rein in my fury as I asked quietly, "What did you do?"

The twinkle in her eyes came back as she smirked. "I merely hunted his lying ass down by the beach before using him as a human punching bag."

I laughed at her bravado and said proudly, "That's my girl! Way to go, Bellarina."

She blushed before grinning at me. "I broke my right thumb though. After that incident, dad taught me how to punch and shoot before I went off to college."

I reached out to take her right hand and brought it to my lips before saying against her thumb, "I am so proud of you, Baby. Though, I am sorry about your thumb."

She looked stunned at my actions as she whispered, "I'm not. My hand is more than better now." I had a feeling that the _now_ part was a reference to my kiss on her finger but I let it go.

As I let go of her hand, I realized something—Bella had just showed her trust in me by sharing her past with me. _If I want to show her I was falling for her, I must give her my trust as well. Just like mom always said—all successful relationships are based on trust and respect._ My thoughts made me realize that it was time I told her about my horrible experience at high school. I took a deep breath before starting to talk.

**BPOV**

I was still absently stroking the place where Edward had kissed on my hand when I heard the sound of his beautiful voice. There was an underlying tone of sadness in his voice as he started, "In high school, I was a geek. I wore batman t-shirts and nerd-glasses to class. I was not one of the popular crowd, but people did not bother me; though I think that was because of the fact that the soccer team's center-forward was my cousin. Anyway, I was doing okay. But in sophomore year, a new exchange student came to our school from the states—Tanya Denali." He said her name like it was a curse word and it suddenly hit me—he was telling me about the girlfriend I heard about.

He did not meet my eyes as he continued, "Tanya was good looking, I guess. She approached me on the first day of spring semester with a physics problem. I helped her out. Then after a few days, she asked me out to movies. I really had not paid attention to girls like that because I wanted to graduate early and all that, you know?"

I nodded before realizing he couldn't see me with his eyes trained on his feet. So I whispered, "Yeah. So… what happened?"

He let out a harsh laugh. "_Stupidity_ happened… on my part at the least. I enjoyed the fact that I could brag about having a girlfriend after seeing Em constantly with different girls. After the semester was over, we had time for summer vacation. I had figured I would most likely hang around with Tanya. But she said she'd have to go back to the US to visit her father."

There was a silence in which Edward drained his bottle before putting it down on the counter beside him. He then offered me a sad smile and said, "After the break, I saw Tanya in school once again. But she seemed different. Alice kept telling me she was not someone I should date, but I shrugged her off. I knew even my parents didn't really like her but I still didn't care. Then one day, she started puking her guts out in school, and the school nurse was afraid she had contacted some infection from her vacationing. So she made her take a blood test."

His face hardened and he stated slowly, "The test revealed she was pregnant."

I gasped. _The fuck… ? Edward has a kid somewhere? Why did not anyone tell me about this before now? Oh God… oh God….OH GOD!_ Edward must have sensed my panic attack because he started shaking his head furiously looking like he had just seen a ghost.

I tried to keep my jaw from hitting the floor as he started talking in a speed that could easily rival Alice, "No, no… NO! Bella, it's not what you think. I had never… the most I had done with Tanya was kiss… I did NOT sleep with her. Believe me, Bella."

I searched his eyes and could see the truth in the panic I saw in them. I felt my body relax and I nodded before saying, "I believe you, Edward."

He mumbled something that sounded like '_Oh, thank God!_' before he resumed his story. "When Tanya found out about it, she started saying that the child was mine. She must've thought the _stupid virgin boy_ would not know how someone got pregnant anyway. But what she did not know was that I happened to love biology as a subject and when I had time, I used to go through my dad's physiology books quite often."

He arched an eyebrow and I felt a shocked laughter bubble out of my mouth, realizing he would have known exactly how to get pregnant without actually doing the deed. _Thank fuck for that!_ I looked curiously at him and asked, "So what did you do then?"

He had a smile on the corner of his lips as he continued, "Emmett went absolutely ballistic when he heard her spewing lies about me. At that time, he was seeing her younger sister Irina, so he kept asking her about Tanya's pregnancy. Irina thought Em and I did not get along very well. So she revealed her sister's secret to him. The truth was that when they had been on their vacation, Tanya met some guy at a beach. She screwed around with him which Irina had the misfortune to have walked into. Irina also said that when Tanya found out about her pregnancy she contacted the guy first and when he said he wanted nothing to do with the kid, she decided to make me the scapegoat."

I could practically feel my nails turning into claws as I cursed aloud, "That bitch! That conniving bitch! She had no fucking right to blame you for her shit!"

He smiled at me and shook his head. "She did not get away with it though. You see Em recorded the whole conversation with Irina and by the next day, my parents, her mother and all the teachers and the head master had heard it. I have never seen my mother openly threaten someone before that day… it was quite entertaining actually."

He sounded amused while I seethed, "The bitch would be lucky if she never crosses my path in her lifetime. Because I would not threaten her like Esme; I would beat the shit out of her."

He held up his hands. "Whoa, are you a black belt or something? Or do you like entertaining yourself by bitch-slapping people?"

I shrugged, not wanting to let him know that I was feeling possessive of him. _There's no need to boost his ego, is there?_

He laughed at my blasé expression and said, "Anyway, in the end, she was suspended for framing me of something I had not done and spreading false accusations. After a few days, we heard some moving trucks had been seen on their driveway and I had never heard or seen Tanya Denali since."

I looked down at the now empty bottle in my hand and started to pick on the label again, not sure what I should say after hearing _that_.

Edward made the attempt to break the silence first as he sighed. "There were no deep feelings in between me and her. What has kept making me feel like an idiot is the fact that I could be thought of as such an easy prey. I am ashamed of this part of my life. It's just that… knowing how stupid I was to let her get to me like that… to let her distance me from my family like that… that's what makes me feel like a loser."

I could not let him wallow in guilt and shame and so I held my hand out to him. When he took it, I tugged on his hand, making him come towards me. As he stood right before me, I let go of his hand and snaked my arms around his neck, bringing his face closer to mine.

Then, I said fiercely, "Don't you dare say you are stupid. I have known you for more than two months now, and I know who you are. You are a rude, irritating, know-it-all, egotistical jerk… you are the man that makes me want to throttle you on a daily basis. You are a lot of things… but you are not stupid or a loser."

He smiled crookedly at me, making my heart do some crazy acrobats in my chest, as he leaned into my touch. I brought one hand from around his neck and grabbed the locks of hair that were resting on his forehead, bringing him closer so that or noses were brushing against each other.

I could feel his hands come to land on both sides of my hips, as I whispered the next words, barely touching his lips with mine in the process, "You are also the most handsome, thoughtful, kind, amazing and perfect man I have ever met. So do NOT say that you are stupid." Just as the last word left my mouth, he tightened his hold on my hips and then took my lips in a fierce kiss.

I kissed him back with equal fervor, wanting to take away the sadness I had seen in his eyes when he was talking. I slipped both hands in the hair at the nape of his neck and tugged. He made a sound like a growl before biting on my lip, making me gasp. And then his tongue joined the party as he licked my lip to soothe the slight sting of his bite, before meeting my tongue with his.

Sensations—raw and untamed—gripped me, making those thousand butterflies in my stomach resurface—but this time, in my heart. My heart was beating so fast I was afraid it might burst out of my chest.

Soon he had left my mouth and was kissing down the column of my throat. I tilted my heard as my legs tried to wrap themselves around his hips, looking for… something. He smiled against the skin just beneath my ear as he whispered, "You said a lot of things about me… including handsome—by the way—but I think you forgot to mention a good kisser."

I elbowed him lightly and scoffed, trying very hard not to blush at the fact that I did call him handsome. "Yeah, well you already knew that you are ridiculously handsome. There's nothing new in that statement. As for your second accusation, nope, I'm pretty sure I mentioned egotistic already. Do you want me to add arrogant to the list as well?"

He laughed as he leaned back to see my face. There was a boyish glint in his eyes as he said, "One of these days, Bellarina, one of these days… I will make you say I am a good kisser."

I pushed him away from me afraid of molesting him if he was in such close proximity for long. I got down from my perch and said in a sassy way, "You can always dream, Smirky."

He chuckled at my antics and shook his head at my blatant lying. Suddenly something I crossed my mind and because Edward Cullen had the ability to turn my brain into mush, I blurted out without thinking, "Did you love her, Edward?"

He looked startled at the certain change in direction. He then took my hand and met my eyes as he replied, "No, Bella, I told you there were no deep feelings involved. I just enjoyed the idea of having a girlfriend, that's all. And to tell you the truth, I haven't thought about loving someone…" he licked his lips and whispered something in a low voice.

I wanted to demand that he repeat his whispered words louder but I was terrified. I was terrified that he would tell me that he loved me; or that he would tell me that he was incapable of loving anyone. I wasn't sure that I was ready to hear the first one… yet. And the second one, I hoped I would never have to hear.

**- OTC-**

That night, after a soft goodnight kiss at my door, Edward left me to go to bed. As I laid there, repeating every word he said in my head and remembering every touch that followed the revelation of our past histories, I realized two things.

First of all, Edward trusted me. He trusted me enough to share his past with me. That made me smile.

Secondly, Edward Cullen was _not_ a good kisser. He was an amazing, mind-blowing, incredible kisser. And that made me realize that I would be ready for more of his kisses… or touches… or _him_… soon.

**A/N: The lottery thing is what I heard happens in offices that have to be kept running 24x7. If it doesn't match with the system in US (which I'm pretty sure, it doesn't), just take it as a part of the story world.**

**Leave me your thoughts and review.**

**When you're done, listen to the song I had on repeat while writing this chapter. It's Secrets by OneRepublic. I think it matches their thoughts pretty well. :)**

**Take care.**

**Ann**


	34. Chapter-34: Thanks For Fucking With My L

**Disclaimer: No copyrights infringement intended. I don't own Twilight saga or any of its awesome characters.**

**A/N: Thanks to everyone who has reviewed, favorited, put on alert or simply... read OTC. You guys make my days a little bit brighter. Thank you. This is the hardest chapter I have had to write for OTC… **

**Enjoy Chapter-34 and I'll see you at the end of this chapter! :-)**

**Chapter-34: Thanks For Fucking With My Life**

**EPOV**

Almost a month had passed since the night I had shared my horrible past experience with Bella. In the beginning, I had been worried that she would think of me as the '_stupid boy_' Tanya had called me before leaving school the last time I saw her. But I could not be more wrong. My Bella was so amazing that she did not raise that topic again. But she showed me in her own way that she did not mind me, even if I was being silly or stupid. In fact, she had called me adorable last night.

I closed my eyes as my mind drifted back to the night before.

**-OTC-**

Last night, we had just finished a long shift, and I was feeling like my feet were made of lead as I entered the house behind Bella. Bella had gone upstairs to change and I was thinking of doing the same… until I sat down for a minute and then fell asleep on the couch.

I could feel someone running their hands through my hair. When the sweet smell of strawberries and Freesia hit my nose I understood who it was—Bella. Bella was the one touching my hair… well, her touch was more like a caress.

I kept my eyes shut, waiting for her to wake me up. But no soft sound of my name came out of her mouth. I was about crank open one eye to see what she was doing when her hand started descending.

First, she traced my eyelids and then the tip of my nose, before slowly tracing my lips with what felt like her thumb. I was fighting the urge to kiss the tips of her fingers and that was when I felt her breath on my face. For a few moments, she seemed to just stare at me and then she whispered in a feather-soft voice, "How can you be so adorable? I feel like I can fall for you. But I don't know if you want me to. What do you want, Edward? I wish I could tell you just what you do to me. I wish…"

I wanted to shout out and beg her to tell me what she wished, because I _did_ want her to fall for me… more than she could ever think possible. But before I could do that, I heard Bella sigh softly before brushing my lips with hers. And because I could not get enough of her taste, I started kissing her back giving up the fact that I was awake. _Oh well, it was worth it._

**-OTC-**

I smiled as I remembered the make out session that had followed that kiss. Never before in my life had I felt like the typical hormone-driven teenage boy, constantly thinking about sex. Being determined, to keep your grades from slipping, hoping to graduate early will do that to you. But now, now that I had found Bella, my inner teenage boy had woken up with a vengeance to amend for the lost time. I wanted to glue my lips to my Bella's all the bloody time.

_My Bella._ The thought made me grin like a crazy person, but I could not care less. I was no longer afraid to call her mine; nope, in fact, I relished that reality and I desperately wanted to do that in public. Though we still hadn't announced our marital status in front of our coworkers, last week, I had caught a glint of something on Bella's neck. A closer inspection had told me it was her wedding band. She had put it on the silver chain and had started wearing it around her neck with the swan pendant.

The happiness that had coursed through me at the sight of _my_ ring on her was astounding. Bella had seen me look at it and tried to explain. "I still have to constantly wash my hand at work, so I thought… this way I could keep it on me without risking losing it."

I knew it still wasn't enough, but it was enough… for now. It meant she was starting to accept our marriage as something more than an arrangement. I had placed one hand on her mouth, silencing her. Then I had rushed back up to my room and had put my matching ring on the third finger of my right hand—instead of left.

When I had come down the stairs, she immediately saw my hand. And I am sure, if smiles could generate electricity, her smile would have lightened up the whole damn city of Seattle.

Since then, I had received some curious glances thrown at my right hand, but no one had dared to flat-out ask me about it. _I wasn't going to offer any explanations voluntarily… at least not yet._

Now, as I sat fiddling with the ring resting on the third finger of my right hand, there was a beeping noise, letting me know that I had received a new text message. I unlocked my phone screen, and seeing the name Bellarina in the sender's place, I smiled and then quickly started to read it.

_Hey, how's your day going? I just got a call from Esme. She has invited us to thanksgiving dinner at their place. I said I would check with you before I let her know. Rose tells me she got a similar call as well. And I think Alice is going to drag Jasper there too. So, you game? Let me know…. ~ Bella~_

I chuckled, at how domestic this all sounded, before typing out my reply.

_Yes to the dinner. Though I should ask you first… did you want to spend the holiday with your family? I am glad to see Emmett and Rosalie will be there to share the limelight with us. But I should probably warn you. Jasper got vacation time on Halloween which means he's going to be working on thanksgiving. *Insert evil laughter* However, this can also mean Alice is going to be slightly overbearing, not having to anyone to keep her calm. _

_My day is going too damn slow with too much paperwork to do. ~ Edward~_

A few minutes later, when I get back her text, I was floored.

_Edward, Esme said she has invited both my parents and Rose's parents as well. And the Hales have always been like an extended family to me. Now that I have been officially welcomed into the Cullen family, I get to spend the holiday with my _whole_ family. What more could I ask for?_

_P.S. Stop laughing, Smirky. Even you know Jazz is good for Alice. ~ Bella ~_

I could feel a sudden urge to seek Bella out and kiss the living daylights out of her. "_But we're at work," _I reminded myself before shooting off my reply.

_I am very glad to hear that, Mrs. Cullen. I look forward to the Thanksgiving dinner then.  
>P.S. Did I make you blush by calling you Mrs. Cullen? I think I did. ~ Edward ~<em>

Her answer was instantaneous.

_NO! I am NOT blushing. Why are you interested in my blushing anyways? ~ Bella~_

And that, solidified the fact that Bella was indeed blushing. I smirked as I typed out the reply.

_You really are a terrible liar, Bella. I can feel your blush even through your text, Baby. ~ Edward ~_

Her next text made me laugh out loud, not caring who heard me laughing my ass off alone in my office.

_Shut up. You cannot feel someone's blush through text messages. Anyway, I have to go. Just like you, I have paperwork to do. So do not think of distracting me with your smirking self anymore. ~ Bella ~_

I again chuckled before returning to the reports I was supposed to be reviewing. I really was thankful to have her in my life.

**BPOV**

On Thanksgiving Day, we had all gathered in the Cullen house. I actually felt quite bad, seeing Alice look longingly at her cell phone every now and then. I knew though Edward were acting like he was happy to not being forced to see Jasper sticking his tongue down his sister's throat, he almost considered Jazz as a friend. I was remembering the way he kept ribbing Jazz for being stuck while we all had yummy foods, when Alice poked me.

"What's with the secretive smile, sister?" she asked, trying to be her cheery self.

I blushed and started to say, "I was just thinking about…"

"My brother. Am I right or am I right?" She giggled, making me blush even more. Rose joined us in the kitchen and said, "Okay. That blush must be because of some doctor; someone whose name starts with the letter E… now who can he be?" She pretended to think, tapping her temple in a thoughtful manner.

I elbowed her and smirked. "Yeah, as if you are not obsessed with an architect having the same first letter in his name."

Mrs. Hale, Rose's mother, came toward us and said in a mock stern voice, "Now, now, ladies, don't be all giggly. Or you'd let your men know that they're being discussed in here." She winked at us, making all three of us burst into another fit of giggles. I was quite enjoying the atmosphere in the house. _This is going to be the best thanksgiving ever!_

**-OTC-**

When we had all sat down for dinner and everyone started taking terms saying what they were thankful for, I boldly took Edward's hand in mine under the table, trying to convey without the words that I was thankful for having him in my life. Everyone's words were heartfelt when they said what they were thankful for; even when my Dad said that he was thankful for fly-fishing and the Winchester Rifles or when Alice said that she was thankful for heels.

Soon it was my turn and I did what I did best…. yes, I blushed, before saying that I was thankful to have such a great family to call as my own. I could see Esme secretly wiping her eyes which made me smile shyly up at her.

Edward was up after me. He silently tightened his hold on my hand under the table, before grinning and saying, "I am thankful for all the amazing people in my life." His thumb slowly brushing over my knuckles told me he was including me in the list of people as well. I furtively squeezed his hand, to let him know I felt the same way. From the smile he gave me, I knew he understood me. _We may not be _there_ yet, but we were on the same page—on our way to _there_._

After that, the turkey was curved and soon, we were all laughing and eating, like one big happy family. Life could not be better.

**-OTC-**

After we could finally get Emmett to stop eating, we all congregated in the living room where Alice said she had a surprise for everyone. When she saw us all there, she stood up from her perch at the arm of Carlisle's chair and started talking.

"Thank you for indulging me, everyone," she said, "Since this is the first thanksgiving—a holiday to celebrate with family—after Bella and Rosalie has joined our family, I think they both should get to know my dear brothers a little better. And what better way to do that than sharing embarrassing baby videos? Most of these videos are from our childhood in England; but I did order a video store to do a mash-up of those with some older tapes I had found at the attic in this house. I don't know what the older tapes contained, but the box they were in was labeled with Edward's name. So let's take a look, shall we, Bella? Rosalie?"

Both Edward and Emmett looked murderous at the idea but they were shot down when Rose and I cheered for Alice to start the show. _This is going to be fun. Note to self: make sure mom doesn't let Alice have a go at _my_ baby videos._

**-OTC-**

The first video was of Halloween. It showed a taller Emmett, wearing a superman suit while a very cute and very grumpy looking Edward stood beside him, pouting at his batman suit. He must have been about seven at the time. He pointed at Emmett and asked the person who was holding the camera, "Why does Em get to be Superman when I am stuck as Batman?"

Emmett grinned at him, showing his dimpled cheeks as he gloated. "That's because Superman has all the muscles, Li'l bro."

Edward screwed up his face in a grimace before something occurred to him and he smirked at Emmett. "Batman is a genius though and… he has all the money." Em looked rebellious at that but Edward looked at the camera once again and smiled. "Okay, Mom, I can be Batman."

**-OTC-**

I leaned into Edward's side and whispered, "So, you were always the smirking-kind, huh?"

He shrugged. "Who'll Smirky be if he didn't smirk?"

I let out a soft giggle before nodding and turning to the screen, where the next video was starting up.

**-OTC-**

At first, the camera was held at a lopsided angle and the video quality was quite bad. But then a sob sounded before the camera shifted hands, and everything became a bit more focused.

A very ragged looking René sat on a hospital bed while Esme stood beside her, holding a little pink bundle. A little boy of about two years stood beside Esme, trying to get a good look at the bundle.

When the camera zoomed in, the big green eyes of the boy became clearer; making me realize it was Edward. He was not paying any attention to the camera though, no, all his attention was directed at the pink bundle. After Esme said a few whispered words to my mother, Edward started to tug on her hand, trying to make her lower the bundle to his eye level.

Esme did as he requested. And suddenly, the bundle revealed a very pink, wrinkly and confused-looking baby—me.

_I heard Edward's sharp intake of breath and turned to meet his shocked eyes, I bit my lip, before turning back to the screen._

The Edward on the screen was begging Esme for something. First it was unclear, but after a few seconds, his request came out as a clear pleading. "Mommy, pwease? I want hold pretty baby. Pwease, mommy, Pwease?"

In the background, laughter could be heard in what sounded like Charlie's voice before the screen went blank.

**-OTC-**

There was a pregnant pause after that. In which, my mind was racing, remembering what Esme had told me about Edward and my friendship before the wedding. It was different seeing it though. Seeing that he was probably my best friend made a lot of difference from just knowing that he used to be a friend._ Why did we get separated? We lost so much time._

One look at Edward's face told me that he was thinking the same thing. Alice let out a nervous giggle before saying, "I think that's one of the older ones since we've never seen that video before."

When no one said anything, she pressed the _next_ button to bring up the next video.

The next video was of Emmett, making a 'mud angel' with Alice, which was followed by a teenager Edward reading medical books with Harry Potter like glasses perched on his nose, while Carlisle sat beside him, explaining the text to Edward. Both of the videos were pretty cute and Edward wearing glasses was adorable, but I could not focus completely on the videos anymore. Because, in the back of my mind, a realization was dawning—a realization that there were very few photos and videos of my childhood… until the age of five. _What's up with that? Did the Cullens take those away with them when they left? Or did Mom and Dad… _

The fifth video, however, made my mind stop working at all. At first, there was nothing but the excited voice of a little boy—talking about something. Then the camera focused on the boy's face… Edward's face.

**-OTC-**

Edward was wearing a pair of batman swimming trunks, as he excitedly started to talk to the one holding the camera—Carlisle. "Dad, hey, Dad, you take photos right?"

Carlisle's voice answered, "Alright, big guy, I am recording this. But what exactly am I supposed to record?"

Edward tried to roll his eyes at his father, but ended up crossing them for a moment, before letting it go and said, "Remember how Uncle Charlie teached me to swim?" Carlisle must have nodded because Edward continued, "I promised Bellarina I teach her to swim too. Can you please record it? I want to look like a teacher." He grinned showing a missing tooth.

Carlisle's hand came into view as he ruffled Edward's hair and asked gently, "You really like Bella, don't you Edward?"

Edward's little head, still full of wild and untamable bronze locks, started bouncing in an enthusiastic nod as he replied, "I love Bellarina, Dad. You know, yesterday, she wanted to play house and I was the dad." He tried to puff out his chest and grinned. "I like playing house with her."

Carlisle must have motioned him to get into the pool, because soon, Edward went around the pool to sit down by the edge before looking up towards the changing room on the other side of the backyard and then he hollered, "Bellarina, don't you want to learn to swim?"

**-OTC-**

Suddenly I gasped, realizing I had seen this same thing happen before—in my dreams. Just like in my dream, a little girl—namely me—came running out of the changing room, before face-planting to the ground. And just like in my dream, little-Edward rushed toward little-me and wiped my tears before kissing my injured knee.

_"__It was not a dream at all… it was a memory! He _was_ in my past. Why did he have to leave? Why hadn't my parents told me about us before? Was _this_ their reason for agreeing to the arranged marriage? Were they just trying to make up for separating us in the first place?_" My mind was going haywire with all the confusion and questions. But I was suddenly brought out of my stupor at the feeling of a hand holding mine in a tight grip.

I looked up to see who it was—only to meet the eyes of my husband. However, his eyes weren't the usual bright emerald green I had come to love… they were darker—almost a shade that reminded me of the stormy green waves of sea. His jaw looked tensed, and there was confusion lining the arches of his eyebrows.

We had not noticed when the video mash-up ended, but then, a sudden _'aww'_ coming from Mrs. Hale, seemed to snap us both back to the present, at the same instant. Edward tightened his hold on my hand and stood up, almost dragging me up with him. He turned to meet the guilty and worried looks coming from both sets of our parents.

One look at the slight pink hue on my mother's cheek, and I knew. I knew that they had deliberately left that part of my life out of my knowledge—the part that contained Edward.

Esme opened her mouth to say something, looking equally guilty as René, but Edward shot her down. "Bella and I need to go. We have a long drive back home and we have to work tomorrow."

Emmett started saying, "Bro, relax. We'll leave together. Just enjoy the home atmosphere for a little while…"

But Edward said in a no-nonsense voice, "No, Emmett. You guys can go back later but I am not feeling alright." Then turning towards me, he asked, "Bella, do you want to stay anymore?"

I just shook my head, knowing that we needed to talk it all out with our parents, but I couldn't bring myself to face the guilt in my parents' face at the moment. _Besides, we should probably do that alone, not in front of the whole family._

Edward kept his hold on my wrist as he said quietly, "Goodbye everyone." And then, he was practically sprinting out of the house with me.

When we got to the front door, Esme's voice stopped us. "Edward, wait. Just let us explain."

Edward brought his free hand to pinch the bridge of his nose, before sighing and then turning both of us to face Esme. I could see my mother and Carlisle shadowing Esme, as Edward almost hissed out, "What do you have to explain, Mom? What is there to explain _now_? You should've explained it all to us—both of us—_before_ shoving us down the aisle. All you told me was that Bella used to be my friend and I kept calling her Bellarina. But it was so much more than that, wasn't it? Did you get us married just to free your guilty-conscience?"

Carlisle came to stand beside Esme and said in an even voice, "Son, we were going to tell you. We just…"

As he paused, as if looking for something to say and Edward let out a harsh laugh. "Exactly, Dad, you are _still_ lost for words. If Alice hadn't decided to play those damn videos, we would've never found out, would we?"

Esme was sobbing by this point, as she shook her head. I felt the urge to comfort her, because I knew she loved me like her own daughter, but I held off. Partly because Edward was gripping my hand in a vice-like hold, and partly because I knew if I went to her, she'd try to offer me some explanations and I wasn't ready to confront her—or anyone, for that matter—before sifting through it all by myself. Besides, I needed to clear it all out with _my _parents before criticizing Edward's parents.

Edward reached with his free hand and wiped the tears from her cheeks, and then, he swallowed, before turning his back to his parents. In a hard voice, he said, "Bella, I'm gonna go and start the car." After a nod from me, and a swift squeeze on my wrist, he was out of the door.

I looked back to see my mother looking with pleading eyes at me and my father standing quietly by her side. I shook my head at them and asked, "Why? Why did you make it like he was not a part of my life? You could've made our lives a hell lot of easier if we had known each other like we did when we were kids."

Charlie said in a gruff voice, "Bells, we have to talk. Maybe you should ask Edward to join us in the living room again?" He sounded uncertain as if he already knew I wouldn't agree.

I shook my head again before reaching behind me to hold the door knob, and then said, "No, Dad, I don't think he wants to hear any explanations right now… and frankly, I don't either."

Just as I was about get out of the door, I heard the sound of Esme's sobs behind me. I froze, and then tilted my head to the side and whispered, "We need some space to clear our heads. Once we've calmed down, we'll talk. Bye."

**-OTC-**

For the first time since we were married, Edward was not holding the car door open for me. I climbed on the passenger side and turned my head to see why. Edward had his eyes closed with his hands holding the steering wheel in a death grip. He looked so vulnerable at that moment that I felt like I needed to wrap him up in my arms to take away the hurt and confusion he must be feeling.

Slowly—unsure if he wanted to be around me or not—I touched his knuckles. Immediately, his hold slackened and then his hand was clutching mine as if I was his lifeline. He brought my hand to his mouth before kissing it fervently._ "Okay, so he wants to be around me."_ My mind was still playing catch-up after the shock.

I turned my hand, palm-up, and cupped his chin, making his eyes meet mine. They were back to the softer, more brilliant color of emerald green now that his anger had stemmed off. He held my hand to his face and whispered in a voice ragged with emotion, "Thank you, Bella… for standing with me."

A surprised giggle burst out of me, as I considered his words before I teased him, trying to lighten the moment. "You didn't exactly give me a choice there, Mister. The way you were almost dragging me around, people would've thought I weighed 10 pounds rather than the 110."

One side of his mouth lifted for a moment, before he sighed. "I just… I—I was suddenly feeling so _suffocated_ in there. I wanted to take you away from all the lies and half-truths. Did I hurt your hand?" He took my hand away from his face and started to search frantically for a bruise or any indication that I was hurt.

I stopped him by again taking hold of his face, and then I said, "You did not hurt me, Edward… my parents did. I am just glad that I had you there to keep me together."

He smiled sadly and said, "I feel the exact same way, baby." When I managed to smile back at him, he quirked an eyebrow and asked, "You ready to get out of here?"

I nodded before reaching up and kissing him softly… once… twice… thrice and one more time… and then whispered against his lips, "Take me home, Edward."

**A/N: I know, not the usual fluffy chapter, but this was a long time coming. I don't do angst. So this is as heavy as it's gonna get. :)**

**The songs I listened to while writing the chapter are: Bed of Roses - Bon Jovi and Prodigal – OneRepublic. Listen to them if you can, both are my favorites.**

**Leave me your thoughts and review, please.**

**Take care.**

**Ann**


	35. Chapter-35: Let's Create New Memories, B

**Disclaimer: No copyrights infringement intended. I don't own Twilight saga or any of its awesome characters.**

**A/N: Thanks to everyone who has reviewed, favorited, put on alert or simply... read OTC. You guys make my days a little bit brighter. Thank you.**

**Enjoy Chapter-35 and I'll see you at the end of this chapter! :-)**

**Chapter-35: Let's Create New Memories, Baby!**

**EPOV**

Three days after that disastrous family dinner, I still hadn't talked to my parents. The only conversations I had had were with Alice when she had called to apologize for creating a rift between me and our parents, albeit unknowingly, and with Emmett.

I had shot down Alice's apology and thanked her instead for bringing it up to my notice. When she was sure that I was not holding a grudge against her, she had tried to hint that I should call up Mom and Dad to check in with them.

But I had denied; I refused to talk to the people who let me go on most of life thinking that I had no friends other than Emmett and then got me married to Bella as if it will undo the hurt they must have surely caused us in the process.

Alice had said that she understood where I was coming from. Her silence let me know that even though she thought I was being over-dramatic, she was not going to push me. And for that I was grateful to her. _I had enough people interfering with my life to last me a lifetime._

The conversation with Emmett, however, was even more uncomfortable—something I never thought was possible. The morning after thanksgiving, Emmett had come over, looking for me. When I had opened the door, he had offered me a tired smile before greeting me. "Hey, Ed, I didn't wake you up, did I?"

I shook my head, thinking of the sleepless night I had had. After I had motioned for him to come inside he slowly stepped in—as if not sure I wanted him there. For some tense moments, we both sat silently, apparently both at a loss for words. Finally Emmett had said, "I am sorry for what happened yesterday."

I had looked at him with alarm and asked, "What are you talking about, Em? Why would you be sorry? I am the one that should be saying sorry for ruining dinner with my… temper."

He managed a weak smile and said, "You always had the temper issue, Ed. I get where you are coming from; I do. But…" He looked unsure about how to phrase his feelings and then looked down at his large hands. Then he whispered, "I was the reason Uncle Carlisle and Aunt Esme had to move to England and separate you and Bella. If my parents hadn't had that accident…"

I felt like such an ass at that moment that for an instant, I considered standing up and offering Emmett my ass for kick-boxing practice. _How can I be so callous? I knew the reason we had to move was because of Emmett's parents' death. How can I be such a self-centered bastard that I only thought about the hurt caused by my parents' lies and not about what I was making my cousin feel?_

I immediately stood up to face him and croaked out in a shameful voice, "Em, I am so sorry. I am a horrible brother. You have not only been my cousin all these years, Em; you have been my best friend… my brother. You have nothing to be sorry for. I am sorry for being a douche-bag. Please, Bro, forgive me."

Em had stood up and clapped my shoulder in the same big-brotherly way he had a thousand times before. When he spoke, his voice was heavy with unshed tears. "No, Ed, you reacted just like I would have if I had been in your place. Don't say you're sorry for standing up for yourself."

After a few minutes of silence he again said, "How about we don't say we're sorry? How about we just promise to be there for each other no matter what—like always?"

I pulled him in a hug and said in a wry voice, "If I were you I would've totally kicked my ass."

He laughed lightly. "Yep, and that's why you're not the big brother."

After that the air had cleared and when Bella had offered Em lunch, he had joined us, making it seem like nothing had happened. _If only everything could be so easily forgotten!_

In the past three days, Bella hadn't brought up what happened—not for once—and I was thankful for that. I did not want the past to cast any shadows on our present and hopefully—future.

It was the fourth day after we had returned from Forks and I stood in front of the bathroom mirror of my attached bath, shaving and thinking of the past three days. That's when a soft knock on my door snapped me back to the present.

The knock sounded again—louder this time—followed by Bella's sweet voice asking, "Edward? Are you decent?" I looked in the mirror and saw that I was only wearing trousers and with shaving foam covering half of my face.

I was about to call out to her to wait when she said, "I am coming in."

And then, the door opened, and Bella entered the room. She looked around in confusion, as if looking for me. Then her gaze landed on the open bathroom door and to my half-naked self. She gasped and quickly turned around.

I could tell she was blushing furiously by the shaky voice in which she said, "I—I'm sorry. I knocked and when you didn't answer I… uhh… figured you must be in the bathroom. I should go…"

I quickly crossed the room to stand in front of her. Then I tipped her head back with the back of my knuckles and forced her to meet my eyes.

I was right. She was blushing, and I couldn't help but lean down and softly touch my lips to the apple of her cheek. She let out a shaky breath and smiled up at me. That's when I noticed it.

It seems I had forgotten to wipe off the rest of the foam from my jaw and it was now smeared on one side of her face. I smiled cheekily at her and said, "It seems you'd make a very cute Santa, baby."

Her eyes grew larger as she registered the foam on her face. She poked me on the ribs and reached for the towel that hung from my shoulders to wipe off her face. When she was done she gave me a mock stern look. "That's not very gentlemanly of you, you know? You should never smear a girl with shaving foam."

I smirked at her, enjoying the playful atmosphere. "So what shall I smear on you? Besides, I did not smear _any_ girl with foam… just my girl."

She blushed, obviously catching the innuendo I was brave enough to throw at her. Then her lips turned upwards into a shy smile and she asked me, "Your girl? You think I'm your girl?"

I scoffed, pretending not to be worried that she'd totally shoot me down and replied, "Of course you are."

Her grin widened as she nodded, "Alright, but on one condition. You are my man too."

I grinned back at her and said, "I won't have it any other way, baby."

After few moments for smiling goofily at each other, I remembered something and asked, "So, why were you so anxious to see me that you could not wait few more minutes?"

She rolled her eyes. "Always _so_ modest, Smirky. I wanted to ask you something." When I didn't say anything she bit her lip, making me swear mentally, as my pants tightened. Then she opened her mouth and said in a rushed voice, "I wanted to see if you want to go out to have dinner after work. We don't have to be at the hospital until 2 tomorrow. So…"

I scrunched up my eyebrows and asked, "You mean like a date?"

When she blushed I couldn't help but tease her a bit. "Are you saying that you like me like that, Bella?"

She huffed and glared at me. "Nope. I am saying that because you are such an arrogant ass that you never asked me out on a second date. So, I figured I should take the initiative this time."

_"__You fucking idiot! You have forgotten what Em taught you in high school. Never make a girl wait for you to call for a second date if you are interested in her."_ I mentally chided myself because I was definitely interested in Bella. I turned to face her with a guilty expression on my face and prepared to grovel at her feet. "Bella, I am so sorry," I started, but she put one finger on my lips shutting me up.

Impulsively, I kissed the tip of her finger, which made her smile sweetly at me, and then she whispered, "Hey, it's okay. I know things have been crazy lately. I was just messing with you. How about you pick me up at the hospital parking lot? Say at seven thirty?"

I grinned at her. "I think I can do that, my beautiful girl." She reached up to kiss the tip of my nose and then with a giggle, she left the room, leaving me standing there alone and smiling like an idiot.

**BPOV**

For the first time in my life, I willingly allowed Rosalie to poke and prod at me—as much as she wanted to—in the hospital locker room. It was 7.15 p.m. and I was worried sick about the discussion I wanted to have with my husband later in the night.

Rose of course picked up my mood and perched one hand on her hip. "You know, Swan, I cannot make you look prettier if you keep making a face that says you're trying to shit bricks."

I rolled my eyes at her, acting nonchalant and said, "Oh shut up, Hale. I am already pretty and you know it."

She looked astonished at my words and asked, "Wait, what…? You finally accepted that you're pretty? How did this miracle happen?"

I looked down at my clasped hands and mumbled, "Edward. He called me 'his beautiful girl' this morning."

She clutched her hands over her heart and pretended to swoon and said, "Damn! I kept telling you that you're pretty all our lives and you grimaced and suddenly pretty boy tells you that and you believe _him_! That's how much I mean to you, huh? Pretty boy's everything now and I'm just chopped liver?"

I gave her a playful glare and said, "He's _not_ a pretty boy. He's handsome and sexy boy… he's my handsome and sexy boy. And you are the best friend slash soul-sister I could ever ask for."

She wiped a fake tear from corner of her eyes and then said in a fake-choked up voice, "My little B is finally growing up."

I scowled at her dramatics and she laughed before hugging me and saying, "I am so happy for you, B. I don't think I have seen you this happy in a long time."

I hugged her back and whispered, "I _am_ pretty happy, Rose."

She let go of me and after a salute, she winked at me. "Knock him dead, girl."

Before leaving the locker room, I picked up the compact mirror and looked at the girl staring back at me. She was wearing a short-sleeved, off-the-shoulder, knee length, form-fitting violet-colored dress, with her hair in a half-knot-half-ponytail style and midnight blue eye-liner lining her big brown eyes.

I smiled at the girl. She was beautiful… _I_ was beautiful… because I had a beautiful man in my life—who made me feel beautiful.

**-OTC-**

This time, Edward took me to a big fancy restaurant with the whole shebang. When he had looked at me with wonder in his eyes as I walked up to him, I had smiled at him. When he had kissed my hand like a gentleman, I had blushed furiously and when he had brought out the single long-stemmed rose from behind his hand, I had grinned at him and called him cheesy.

Now as we sat at the opposite ends of the table, waiting for the entrée to be served, I readied myself to start the talk we needed to have. Edward must have picked up on my tension because he looked at me with confusion, silently asking me if I was okay.

I reached forward and took his hand in mine before saying, "I… _we_ need to talk… about Thursday."

His posture stiffened at the mention of that day. With what seemed like great difficulty, he nodded before asking, "What do you want to talk about?"

I smiled encouragingly at him, feeling relieved that he hadn't rebuffed the idea, and replied, "Whatever you have in mind, you can share it with me." When he remained silent, I squeezed his hand softly and said, "Edward, we're supposed to be partners, right? I am your wife and I have a right to know what's bothering you."

He opened his mouth, obviously wanting to say he was fine, but I interrupted him. "Don't deny it, Edward. In the past three and a half months, I have gotten to know you. I know you are not fine; you haven't been fine since we got back from Forks. So, just tell me what it is. Let me share your problems."

He must have heard the concern in my voice because he flipped his hand over and laced his fingers with mine. He looked intently at our joined hands and then started talking, "Bella, I don't know what I am feeling. I feel guilty for not remembering you. I feel betrayed, because my parents hid the truth of our friendship from us. I feel like an ass for acting out like I had on Thursday. I—I feel like I don't know my parents anymore."

I leaned down to look into his troubled eyes and then said softly, "Edward, you are not alone in this. My parents didn't tell me a thing about this either. Actually," I added as an afterthought, "… the only one who said _anything_ about us being friends before, was Esme. Though she was vague, but she did tell me we used to be friends."

His eyebrows scrunched up and he nodded. "She hinted it to me too; the night before our wedding. I just… I just don't get it—why did they hide the truth from us?"

I swallowed, knowing the hardest part of the evening was here. And then I said, "We won't know that until we talk to them about it." I met his eyes as I suggested in a timid voice, "Maybe we should call them or something. Give them a chance to explain why they did this."

He sighed and brought up his other hand to run though his hair. "I know why they did it. I don't remember it—obviously—but Dad had told me a long time ago, that Uncle Philip and Aunt Caroline, Emmett's parents, lived in England with him when they had an accident. They died that night, leaving a seven-year old Emmett with a sizeable amount of property. That's why we had to move to England."

Now I was confused. "Wait, if that was the reason then why didn't your parents bring Emmett over here to live with you?"

He gave me sad smile and said, "Emmett's properties were all invested in land and until he became 25, my Dad was supposed to be his legal guardian. So, in order to look after those properties, we had to move to England. Besides, Dad had gotten an offer to teach at a med school in England."

I tried to smile encouragingly. "So, it's good that you went out there to take care of Em. Why did you get so angry then?"

He looked at me incredulously and asked, "You weren't mad that your parents hid the fact that we used to be best friends and probably would have ended up being married, and when we returned from England, they arranged a wedding as if it would compensate for all the lies and half-truths?"

I looked down at our joined hands and nodded. "Yeah, I was—I still am actually. But I know that whatever happened doesn't matter anymore. What matters now is that you're here and we're married."

He looked thoughtful as if it hadn't crossed his mind before and then nodded. "You're right." Just then, the waiter arrived with our food and we had to stop the conversation. But I was hopeful that this dispute will be sorted out soon.

"_I would not let him fight with his family over me. I will make him reconcile with his parents._" I could see how much he missed his family and I vowed to myself to help him.

**-OTC-**

Once we were back inside the car, heading towards home, I decided to make the confession that had been bubbling inside me for the last three days. So I quietly called his name. "Edward?"

"Hmm?" was his only reply as he focused on the road.

"I… um… I have a c—confession to make," I stammered.

His wide eyes immediately snapped into mine. I quickly shook my head. "It's nothing bad, I promise." After he had returned his gaze at the road, I took a deep breath and blurted out, "You know the video Alice showed us of the two of us… of swim lessons?"

He nodded, looking curious, as to where I was going with this. I let out a breath and continued, "I kinda saw that already; but not on video. It was a dream I had… right after we had first met."

He stopped the car at a stop light and stared at me with his mouth hanging open. I felt my cheeks heating up and grumbled, "Why are you looking at me like that? Staring is rude, you know? I know you think I am an idiot."

He chuckled. "You better not be calling my girl an idiot."

I glared at him, making him smile in return. He shook his head and explained, "It's just so… weird… I had a similar dream of us as kids after that night at the bar."

I couldn't help but sound hopeful as I exclaimed, "Really? So, you don't think I am a psycho or anything?"

He smirked at me. "Nah, you're just totally crazy about me."

I scowled at him. "So? You dream of me too… so you must be crazy about me as well."

His smirk turned into a toothy grin as he said, "You have no idea, baby."

There it was—baby, after that day he had not called me Bellarina—not once—and I kind of missed that name. _Since he's in a confessing mood now, why not ask him?_ My subconscious was right. So as the car started moving again, I decided to bite the bullet. "Can I ask you one more thing?"

He nodded, throwing me a curious smile to let me know I had his attention. I cleared my throat before asking, "You haven't called me Bellarina since we left Forks."

I saw his eyes widen slightly as he murmured, "That's not a question."

I huffed. "I want to know why that is."

He seemed to think over his words before saying slowly, "I actually started calling you by that name because in my dream, I called you Bellarina. And now I… I don't know if that's what you want anymore."

I smiled at his words and replied, "I want. I like that name too much to let you stop calling me by it for this anyway."

He turned to face me then and smiled back. "Then who am I to deprive you from being called by it, Bellarina?" We both burst into laughter as he drove the car through the entrance to our building.

**-OTC-**

Once we were inside our home, I turned around to wrap my hands around Edward's neck just as he closed the door. He smiled widely at me and leaned down to meet my lips halfway. He kissed me softly and so adoringly that I felt my heart melt right at that moment.

When he let go of my lips I smiled shyly at him and said, "I think we had a pretty good second date there, Dr. Cullen. Maybe we should do this again sometime."

He grinned back at me. "Oh believe me, baby, we're definitely going to do this again." Then he took my hand and started to lead me up the stairs. Once we had reached the door of my bedroom, his gaze turned serious as he said with a sad smile, "You know what else got me mad that day?"

Without waiting for my reply, he continued, "It was the thought that if we had indeed been together from the beginning—like it could be—I would have given you your first kiss, not that imbecile Black."

A startled giggle burst out of my mouth as I teased him. "Don't you sound too self-assured, Smirky?" When he scowled at me, I said seriously, "Edward, Jacob may have kissed me that time but it was nothing compared to _our_ first kiss. _That_ was my real first kiss."

He looked down at where his hands were holding on to my waist and frowned. "But there must have been other guys after him. I know you said you never dated anyone but…"

"_What? Oh! OH! OHH! He thinks I had one-night stands rather than date some guy?_" As soon as the thought crossed my mind, I let out a shriek of laughter and exclaimed, "You think I have had random sex instead of dating?"

When he didn't answer, I sobered up. "Edward, what happened after that one kiss scared the shit out of me. I could not imagine what the ramifications would have been if I had had sex with some random guy after that."

He tried to catch my eye and asked me, "So, you're… I mean you've never…?"

I felt the stupid blush spreading through my cheek as I nodded, trying to avoid his eyes and then whispered, "You're the second guy I have kissed."

I heard a faint mumble that sounded like '_Oh, thank God!_' and peeked at him, only to be met with the wide ass smile gracing his lips.

I arched an eyebrow and was about to ask him to repeat himself to check if I heard him correctly, but he stopped me before I could get a word out of my mouth. No, he didn't put a finger on my lips or kiss me to shut me up; what he did was even more intense than that.

He put both his hands on either side of my head against the wall and leaned in to place his forehead against mine. There we stood, simply looking into each others' eyes, and I felt something stirring inside my chest—something that seemed to jump start my heart to start beating at a frenzied pace instead of the usual rhythm.

After a few seconds, Edward moved his face just a little bit closer to mine so that his nose nudged mine and his lips ghosted along mine, as he spoke the words, "Is it too much that I don't want this evening to end?"

I swallowed, feeling my heart trying to beat its way out of my chest as I shook my head slowly and replied, "No, it's not too much. It's perfect. Tonight was perfect and… I don't want it to end either."

He smiled then, and I swear I could see millions of stars twinkle in the depths of his eyes. _Fuck! I think I am going insane._ As I stood there, staring into his eyes, he spoke again, "Do you want to come in my room?"

My eyes widened, realizing the double meaning in his words and by the sudden question that struck my mind, "_Am I ready to go all the way with him?_"

Edward must've seen the uncertainty in my eyes because he started stuttering, "Oh shit! I… Bella, I'm sorry. That came out wrong, I swear. I just… I was asking you to stay with me for a little while. We don't have to _do_ anything. I just want to be in your company, truly."

A startled giggle burst from my lips at his adorable rambling, and I couldn't help but take hold of his collar and bring his lips to mine. When I felt him relax into the kiss, I said against his lips, "You are so cute when you stutter. I'm sorry I overreacted. I want to be in your company too. So, I don't mind staying with you for a while."

He nodded and stepped back before taking my hand, and then he led me into his bedroom.

Once we were inside, I looked around, realizing that since we had been married, I have only been a handful of times in that room and all of those times I had been utterly mesmerized by the handsome man that was my husband to properly take in his habitat.

I let my gaze wander around over the bookshelf stacked with music CDs, the huge sound system located right beside it, the books and medical journals that seemed to be littered on the bedside table and then finally, on the huge king-sized bed. The bed evoked memories that I never wanted anyone to know… memories of dreaming of hard-muscled pillows and drooling on the said pillow.

My cheeks must have been flushed at the memory of the drooling incident because suddenly, a hand was being placed against my cheek and the now familiar velvet voice whispered in my ear, "What wouldn't I give to find out what's making you blush like insane right now. Will you tell me?"

I quickly shook my head. _Never in my life, Smirky. I don't need to let you know that I have literally drooled on you or have you feel grossed out by my confession._

Edward pouted, trying to coax me to tell him what I was thinking, but I held my ground like the strong-willed woman I was. When he figured out I wasn't going to say anything, he sighed despondently, and then kissed my cheek before moving his lips to lay a kiss just below my ear.

I shivered involuntarily as the zing that usually followed his touch ran through my body. The fucker seemed to catch on that though, because he smirked at me and asked, "Feeling cold, Mrs. Cullen?" I scowled at him and because I am an immature idiot, I nodded, thinking I would get one up on him. But I couldn't have been more wrong.

"Let me warm you up, baby," he offered softly. Before I could ask him what he meant, his hands were back on either side of my hips and his lips were teasing mine in a tender yet possessive way. I sighed as I touched his tongue with mine, before running my hands up his forearms… his shoulder blades… and then into his hair. I knit my fingers through his hair and then remembering something from a few weeks back, I tugged.

My tugging seemed to have its desired result because he let out a sound that was close to a growl, before letting his hands slip downwards and resting them right on my ass. The feeling of heat coming off of his hands through the fabric of my dress made me tug once again. This time, he tightened his hold on my ass-cheeks before starting to walk. I had no idea in which direction we were moving because all I could think about was the way his lips were dancing along my jaw. And then suddenly I felt it.

The back of my knees hit the side of the bed and Edward's kisses slowed down. I met his eyes and bit down on my bottom lip, not sure what he'd do next. He cursed lightly at that moment before taking that very lip into his mouth and sucking on it. Then he pushed me slightly with his hip, indicating what he wanted me to do and I grabbed his shirt collar before falling backwards on the bed and bringing him with me.

And the next thing I knew, I was lying on my back with Edward hovering over me. He rested on one elbow, trying not to crush me with his weight while letting one hand move over the column of my neck. Then his hand reached my collar bone before moving my dress downwards and exposing the top of my breasts. He groaned again, before following the path of his hand with his mouth.

When his lips reached my cleavage, I shivered, knowing I wanted it all with him but not knowing if we were ready for _that_ yet. The shiver however, made his lips turn upwards in what I could feel was that silly crooked smile of his… and then he let his hand follow its previous path. This time, though, it didn't stop; it moved to graze my nipple lightly over my dress, making me moan, before running over my ribcage and then down the outsides of my thighs and down my legs.

Once he reached my ankle, he let his hand move back upwards but this time it took another route… the one through inside of my thigh. He looked directly into my eyes before his hand moved further north until it was barely grazing the outer seam of my panties. I let out a loud moan—which I am sure would have put porn stars to shame—but I was beyond caring by this point.

He seemed to like the sound effect though, because then I felt his hand creep under the seam, a little higher and towards the middle, until it was resting directly over me—on the place where no one else had ever touched me before.

I let out a whimper and Edward bent down to place a kiss right on my ear as he whispered, "Shh, baby, we won't do anything you are not comfortable doing yet. Just let me take care of you, beautiful."

I must have nodded or given any positive signal to him, because his fingers started to move over my lower lips… over and over and with each pass, he lightly touched the place in between making my panties dampen even more. After a few more strokes, I felt the tell-tale tightening in my stomach, knowing I was right at the edge.

I couldn't help the plea that escaped my mouth, "Please, Edward…" Even I didn't know what I was pleading him for, but he seemed to know exactly what I needed. He pinched my clit in between his thumb and forefinger as his mouth pressed a searing kiss just beneath my ear. I let out another porn star-worthy moan as I fell into pieces in his arms.

In the back of my mind, I felt embarrassed for coming when the man hadn't even touched my whole body and to prevent myself from moaning out his name like people did in Harlequin novels, I did what I could… I bit him on the side of his neck.

When the lust-induced haze had cleared off, I felt my blush return with full force as I peeked into his face. His lips were stretched in a huge cocky grin. That grin made me want to snark at him and kiss him at the same time; but I did neither. Because at that moment, I felt something poke at my lower abdomen… something hard. _What the…? Oh…. It's his… WOW!_

As soon as I realized what it was, I pushed lightly on his chest. A look of hurt crossed his face as he thought I was rejecting him and he rolled off of me. I grinned my best evil grin at him before following him to straddle his hips. He seemed confused for a moment as he asked, "Bella, what are you… ?"

But I shut him up when I flicked open the first button of his shirt. He immediately seemed to catch on what my intension was and smiled his crooked smile and rested his hands on my hips. I had had a glimpse of the solid muscled chest in that morning and I wanted to see it again… I wanted to feel it under my hands. I quickly undid all the buttons and parted the shirt to get access to my objective.

After I had my hands resting on his chest, I shyly looked into his eyes to judge his reaction and was met with a wide grin that threatened to split his face in two. "_I'll show you, Cullen. I may be a virgin, but I will wipe that grin off your face."_ I vowed silently.

**EPOV**

My grin vanished the moment Bella started placing kisses all over my chest. Let me tell you people, the sight of your girl kissing the skin over your heart while her long hair—that you had managed to take out of its styled knot—trailed over your stomach was the most arousing thing in the world. I think it could only be second to the sight of Bella's beautiful face all pink and scrunched up, while her lips formed the beautiful melodies that said you did exactly what she wanted.

And then, because she was my personal hell-cat, she started trailing her hand down… over my stomach and then the button of my dress pants. She bit that goddamned lip again making me groan as she toyed with the button.

My groan must have given the signal she was looking for because she flicked it open before pinching the zipper in between her thumb and forefinger. She didn't look at me as she slowly pulled down the zipper making me let out a ragged sigh of relief. _These damn pants are too fucking tight._

Just as I was begging her internally to continue, she looked at me. I saw a deep blush rising from the top of her chest to her neck before finally taking residence on her already flushed cheeks. She let out a breath and said in a small voice, "Edward, can you… I mean, will you…"

That damn blush of hers made my hand reach up on its own volition and tuck a stray lock of hair behind her ear. She leaned into my touch, making my desperate plea come out, "What, baby? What do you need? Just tell me, my beautiful girl."

She smiled shyly at me before taking a deep breath and saying, "Will you show me how to… take care of you?" I let out a long breath, realizing her innocence was the best gift I could ever ask God for. I didn't say anything. I just took her right hand in my own and moved it to rest on my dick that was about to burst through the thin material of my boxers to get to her.

The moment her hand made contact with me, my mind went totally blank. I shuddered feeling myself harden even more and not knowing how the fuck that was even possible. Bella however didn't seem to need my assistance anymore. She ran one finger over the bulge in my underwear before slipping her hand under the waistband and then resting her whole hand on me. And then, she was curling her hand around me with a look of utter determination etched on her beautiful face.

I let out a groan, as I felt her hand start moving tentatively over my length and soon, she was stroking me deliberately and I was moaning and groaning like an adolescent boy getting his first hand-job. "_It _is _your first hand-job, you lucky fucker!"_ I reminded myself.

All my groaning and moaning seemed to embolden her even more though, because her strokes became surer, making my hips arch upwards involuntarily, looking for the source of warmth I had touched a few minutes ago.

Soon it was too much and I couldn't hold off any longer. So, disregarding the fact that I was about to come in my wife's hands, I did exactly that—letting loose a mumbled string of profanities in the process. When I was able to move, I lifted my head to see Bella resting her head on my bare chest, her hands gripping my arms as her whole body shook with tremors.

I immediately thought of the worst. _She's crying. She must feel humiliated because of my horny ass! _I clenched my eyes shut and started apologizing, furious with myself for my lack of self-control. "Oh God, Bella, I am so sorry. You must think I am such a pig. I promised to you to not do anything and then humiliated you in this way." I would have continued my moping party, if the sound hadn't reached my ears—the sound of a suppressed giggle.

I looked down at the woman lying on top of me then, and saw her naked shoulders dance as she giggled hysterically. I narrowed my eyes before wrapping my arms around her. "What is so fucking funny?"

She snorted in her cute way and said while trying not to burst into laughter, "It just occurred to me that you were trying to be a gentleman all this evening and after the beautiful choice words that came out of your mouth recently, I am sure no one would have mistaken you as a gentleman. You have a very bad mouth, Smirky."

I tried to scowl at her while a feeling of adoration and tenderness started spreading through my heart for this amazing woman. "Well, if I am a bad mouth, you are an Amazon; because you bit me… literally, Bellarina."

She blushed furiously before looking down at my chest. I nudged her chin with my knuckles and forced her to meet my eyes. "I am just kidding, Baby. That shit was too hot to complain about, trust me."

She looked into my eyes and said in a soft but sure voice, "I do. I trust you, Edward and I honestly don't regret what we just shared. Do you?"

I shook my head. "No way. That was the sexiest thing I had done in my life." She smiled brightly at me and I decided to push my luck a bit further. "Do you want to sleep here tonight? Just sleep, I promise. I just want to hold you. I'm still not ready to let you go."

She hesitated for a bit before nodding and then she smiled. "Okay. Can I just go and get ready in my room though?"

"Sure." I smiled back as I saw her sit up and self-consciously tug her dress in place, hiding the creamy hints of her curves from my eyes. As soon as she left the room, I quickly ran to the bathroom to clean myself up before she got back.

That was the first night we slept together… not because we were trying to put on an act… because we wanted to. As I laid awake, running my hand through the silky smooth hair of my wife, I couldn't help but crave the day when we would be spending the night together… as man and wife… in every sense of the word.

**A/N: Phew. This is my longest chapter yet. Just over 6.6K words. :)**

**The songs I listened to while writing this one were "Everything's gonna be alright—Enrique Iglesias" and "Everything About You—One Direction". If you haven't listen to them, I suggest you do that. Both are my favorite songs.**

**Let me know your thoughts and review, please?**

**I got a bad news for you people. I have a midterm on this Tuesday, meaning no update on that day. Next update will be on Friday. Sorry, but hey, I gave you a long-ass chapter to read this week. Wish me luck.**

**Have a great weekend. Take care.**

**Ann**


	36. Chapter-36: My Vampire Girl

**Disclaimer: No copyrights infringement intended. I don't own Twilight saga or any of its awesome characters.**

**A/N: Thanks to everyone who has reviewed, favorited, put on alert or simply... read OTC. You guys make my days a little bit brighter. Thank you.**

**Enjoy Chapter-36 and I'll see you at the end of this chapter! :-)**

**Chapter-36: My Vampire Girl**

**EPOV**

The first thing to register on my mind was the tickling sensations on my arm. I carefully looked down, with my mind creating images of vicious tarantulas to cockroaches roaming over my body. So the sight that hit me took my breath away.

The 'monstrous thing' turned out to be nothing but my beautiful wife. And the tickling? That was from her lush mahogany hair. I smiled down at the sleeping beauty in my arms and decided to enjoy the view._ And that is so not stalker-ish of you, Cullen!_ I rolled my eyes at my thoughts. Because it may be a little stalker-ish but what she didn't know, she won't be able to use on me.

On the night before, after our… activities, Bella had come to bed and let me spoon her. This morning however, I saw that she had moved in her sleep and was facing me… still wrapped in my arms. One of her small hands had my t-shirt in a tight grip, making me wonder what she must have been dreaming of.

She must have felt my eyes on her because slowly, her eyelids fluttered open before her chocolate brown eyes focused on mine. A slow smile stretched on her face as she said in a sleepy voice, "Good morning, Smirky."

I chuckled at her greeting and leaned down to kiss her lips—because she was still in my arms and I wanted the first thing I did this morning to be kissing her.

However, before I could reach her lips, she shot one hand up to cover my mouth. I arched an eyebrow, silently questioning what I did wrong, when she shook her head. "Morning breath," she said in explanation.

I kissed the palm of her hand and then moved it from my mouth before saying, "So what? If we both have morning breaths, they will cancel each other out… you know, like how two minuses make a plus?"

She quickly moved her head away from the pillow we were sharing to escape my lips and said in a lofty manner, "I also know how two pluses make another plus. So, how about we don't attack each other with morning breaths, take a rain check and get up to change for the day? When we both resemble normal human beings, we'll do something about that kiss?"

I pretended to agree and just as she got out of bed, I reached out to take hold of her wrist before tugging her so that she landed on my lap.

Without allowing her a chance to protest, I pressed my lips on hers. Immediately, all her inhibitions about morning breath seemed to went out of the window and she started kissing me back.

Slowly, she ran her fingers through my hair before grabbing a handful, which made me groan. She smiled against my lips, and to get her back, I started moving my hands up and down her sides.

When my hands brushed the sides of her breasts at the same time, she gasped. I finally had my opening. Without any preamble, I snaked my tongue in her mouth and started stroking her tongue with mine.

Bella let out a moan, which of course made my dick perk up to salute her. She stiffened for a moment, no wonder feeling me hard and ready beneath her, and then, she started kissing me with even more fervor. I took the hint and let my hands fall on her hips before holding her pressed against me.

When we were both panting for breath, Bella let go of my lips and started kissing my jaw line. She then darted out her tongue to lick my day's worth of stubble. The sudden move made me look at her—in shock—and Bella blushed bright red. After a beat, she mumbled, "I just wanted to know how that feels. Did I gross you out?"

A surprised bark of laughter came out of my mouth as I tightened my hold on her, before kissing her once again. This time, when I broke the kiss I smirked at her. "Did that answer your question, baby?"

She nodded before tackling me again. As soon as our chests brushed against each other's, I felt _something_… something like pebbles against my chest. _HOLY FUCKING SHIT! She's not wearing a bra!_ An animalistic groan came out of my mouth the moment the realization hit me. I couldn't help but cup her breasts in my hands, making her moan in return.

And then… beep… beep… beep…

A frustrated sigh left Bella's slightly kiss-swollen lips. "We have to get to work, huh?"

I looked at the offending alarm clock to see it was already 11 o' clock and grimaced. "I guess so."

Bella smiled at me before leaning down to brush my lips with her in a chaste kiss, whispering against my lips, "Fuck the morning breath." I grinned widely at her as she leapt down from my lap and left the room. _Yup! A very good morning indeed!_

**-OTC-**

During our brunch, I decided to broach the subject that's been on my mind from the night before. "Bella?" I called her. She looked up from her coffee and smiled at me.

I cleared my throat and continued, "You were right. We need to talk to our parents. It's not right to place any blame on them without knowing why they did what they did."

Bella looked puzzled at my sudden change of heart and then asked cautiously, "So you will talk to them? I should probably talk to my parents as well. I have been so engrossed in this hot doctor I work with that I haven't just had the time."

I offered her a crooked smile at the last part, before steering us back to the point. "Yeah, we both need to talk to them and I intend to let them know that we are both adults and they do not get to make such choices for us." Bella nodded, showing me that I had her support.

I took a bite of my pancake and then posed the next question. "Do you want to talk to them separately or together? I can ask my dad to ask your parents to come over to talk as well."

Bella thought for a moment before sighing. "Do you mind if we did it together? Since they tag-teamed in lying to us we should tag-team in getting the truth out of them." I nodded, happy to have my Bella by my side.

While we were cleaning up the dishes, Bella suddenly stopped before turning to me. "Edward, I wanted to ask you something."

When I did not say anything, she bit her lip and asked in a hurried manner, "Last night when I told you that I was… you know… less experienced, you said '_Thank God!_' Can I ask why?"

I gulped, momentarily wishing I could say, "_Anything but that!_"

But that wouldn't be fair. Bella had told me about herself and she deserved to know about me as well. So I looked down at my feet and mumbled, "Because I don't have any experience either."

I did not dare look at her face, waiting for the ground to open up and swallow me whole. And then, I heard a giggle. I snapped my head up to see Bella pressing a hand to her mouth, desperately trying to contain the giggle trying to burst out of her mouth. I grimaced. "_Great! Now she's laughing at me—the twenty-five year old virgin!_"

I scowled at her and asked, "What's so funny? Why are you laughing at me?"

She immediately sobered up and replied, "I am not laughing _at_ you. I am laughing _near_ you."

When my frown still remained in place she grinned at me, "Edward you were blushing! The tips of your ears turned pink and you looked so cute!"

I tried very hard not to blush like her when she elbowed me and said, "Hey, I am glad. We can learn together."

Finally, I smiled at her and said, "That, Bellarina, sounds like a plan."

**BPOV**

Once we got to work, we got sucked right in the middle of patients. After the evening round, I didn't get to see Edward for couple of hours because of work. When I finally got a chance to sit down, Jasper came out of nowhere and asked, "You got a minute, sis?"

"Sure," I stood up from my seat and led him towards the vending machines—away from prying ears. "I need caffeine," I explained to him. Once I had my latte in my hands, I asked him, "Now what do you want to talk about? Alice?"

I had guessed Alice must have been pretty upset with him for missing thanksgiving dinner. But Jasper shocked me with his reply. "Nope. It's about Alice's big brother and all the rumors circulating about him."

I did a double-take. "What? What rumors? Who's spreading this shit?" Instantly, I was feeling murderous.

Jazz held up his hands. "Whoa there, tiger, calm down. The 'who' is obviously Nurse Stanley and the 'what' is that the _handsome doctor _has a _vampire_ girlfriend."

_"__That makes no sense at all!"_ I thought to myself and said, "What? He has no girlfriend, Jazz. If you're worried about his cheating on me or anything, relax. He took me out on a date last night. Maybe Jessica saw him with a girl in his car and assumed her, meaning _me_, to be his girlfriend."

Jazz grinned before using that atrocious southern drawl he thought he could speak in to reply in a teasing manner, "I got that, Bell. And anyone with eyes can see the way that guy watches you, he'd rather eat shit before cheating on you."

I felt a light blush coming over my cheeks when he dropped the bomb, making me turn beet-red in zero seconds. "What I am trying to tell you is that be discreet, sis. I love you and I kind of like that guy of yours as a friend. So I really, _really_ don't want to see your bite marks on him."

Cue another double-take before… "Shit! Jazz, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to brush-fire you with my latte. I'll get this cleaned myself. I promise."

Jasper accepted the wet paper towel I had fished out of my scrub pockets and wiped off the latte that had landed on the arm of his lab coat. When he was done, he laughed at my mortified face and patted my cheek. "It's cool, B. I have another lab coat in my locker. Don't sweat it."

When I found my voice, I whispered, "Did you really see bite marks on him?" He laughed again before nodding. Then his pager went off, and with a wink at me, he was gone.

**-OTC-**

Just as I reached the ward, I saw Edward walking inside his office. I quickly checked to see if anyone was around before following him. With a soft knock, I entered the room and closed the door behind me. Edward looked startled at my sudden appearance, and then a slow smile started to spread on his face. Without letting him say a word, I reached forward and tugged on his collar, to make him stand right before me.

When we're toe-to-toe, I craned my neck to look at his face. _Nope, nothing there. Wait, bite… didn't I bite him when I came last night? He was hovering over me… so that will be on his… neck!_ As soon as the realization hit me, I yanked down the collar of his lab coat and stared.

There it was… looking pink and round and kind of painful.

I slowly reached out to poke the place with one finger before meeting the alarmed face of my husband. I practically whispered, "Does this hurt?"

Finally, the light of understanding dawned upon him and he smirked. "Are you concerned about me, Baby? Afraid that I am hurting?" I resisted the urge to pinch the place—just to punish his cocky ass—but the thought of him being in pain didn't seem tolerable.

So I poked his ribs and pouted. "Here I am all worried about me hurting you and you're making fun of me? That's not very gentlemanly you know?"

His eyes softened and he smiled at me. "It doesn't hurt, Baby. I kind of like people seeing I have someone to bite me. I also heard Stanley whispering something about a vampire girlfriend. I am sure you like the sound of _that!_"

I snorted at his words. "Yeah, like everyone wants a biter!" After a pause, I reached up and placed a soft kiss on the spot and said, "By the way, I like people seeing my mark on you too."

He wrapped me in his arms and said softly, "I talked to dad. He said they'll all be there when we call. I said we'd talk tomorrow morning. Is that alright?"

I looked into his eyes and replied, "It's perfect," suppressing an urge to add, "You are perfect, Edward." Maybe we were not there yet, but I hoped we'd soon be.

**-OTC-**

That night when we got out of work, it was pretty late and Edward had made a stop at McDonalds to get dinner. Greasy burgers, hot chocolates with marshmallows, and then a thank you kiss on Edward's lips—which turned into a very hot make out session—resulted in a very happy and relaxed Bella.

When we got home, I did not want to go to bed alone. I know it was greedy of me to want to stake a claim on Edward's warm and cozy bed. But come on, it was December, for fuck's sake and it was too damn cold. I just needed a warm bed. "_Right! And the very sexy man that is going to do the warming up is _not_ the main reason."_ I shushed my inner-bitch and decided to bite the bullet.

"Hey Edward?" My voice stopped him in his tracks. Edward turned around from his spot in front of staircase and arched an eyebrow, asking me to continue.

I licked my lips, suddenly feeling them dry up, before rushing the words out, "Canisleepinyourroomtonight?"

A frown line appeared in the middle of his forehead as he tried to decipher my Hebrew language. I mentally face-palmed when he said, "Sorry, Bella, I didn't catch that. Can you repeat yourself? Maybe a bit slower this time?"

I looked down at my feet, trying to hide my blush behind my hair. Then I took a deep breath, before looking right into his eyes and said with a steady voice, "It's a very cold night. So I was asking if I can sleep in your room tonight?"

When he didn't reply immediately, I quickly amended, "Or we can sleep in mine. I just thought sharing a bed would be better… thermodynamically speaking." _Fuck! Shut the fuck up, Swan. NOW!_

Before I could pray to God to restore my brain-to-mouth filter, I felt two strong arms encasing me in a hug. As soon as his honey and sunshine and Edward-like smell hit my nose, I felt myself loosening up. Edward buried his face in my hair and inhaled before saying in a muffled voice, "Thermodynamically speaking, I think you're a genius, Baby."

I smiled against his chest and replied, "My thoughts exactly."

Then he took my hand and started leading me up the stairs. Once I had changed and joined him in his bed, he held his arms out for me. "I hear cuddling is a good way to transfer body heat." I laughed at his hinting and willingly went to settle down in the cage of his arms. After a few soft kisses, I felt sleep starting to claim me.

I yawned and whispered a '_good night_' to Edward. He brushed a tender kiss on my forehead before spooning me. Right before falling asleep I thought I heard him whisper in my ear, "I hope this becomes _our_ room soon, Bellarina." I didn't know if I was imagining it or he actually said it, but in my mind, I promised him silently, 'soon, Edward,' before drifting off to sleep.

**EPOV**

The second morning of waking up together had a more serious air to it. Both Bella and I were worried about the upcoming confrontation with our parents. So after a short breakfast, we figured it was time.

I had asked my dad to come online on Skype so that we could talk face-to-face… well sort of, anyway. Bella finished cleaning up before joining me in my study. I placed my laptop on the desk before scooting away and offering Bella to share the seat with me. She smiled shyly at me and sat down.

As soon as the call connected, I could see the worried faces of my mother and Reneé. While I was looking for a way to start the talk, Bella took my hand and then spoke in a casual manner, "Hi guys. How are you all doing? We needed some answers as you may already know…"

She looked at me, uncertainty coloring her expression. I gave her a slight nod, indicating I was taking over. Then I turned back to the screen and said, "We now know that we had been friends since birth… well, Bella's birth. But anyway, I have also told her the reason behind our departure from the US. What we want to know is why you did what you did when we came back here."

My father heaved a sigh and started, "Look, kids, we knew what we did by separating you was not right to you. But we had to leave… to take care of Emmett." He looked at me trying to make me understand.

I started shaking my head. "No, we get that. What has been bothering us is the fact that you hid the truth from us. Couldn't you just introduce us as your friend's kids and let the chips fall where they may?"

A sad smile came on to Reneé's face and she turned her head to look at Bella. "Bella, sweetheart, tell me honestly. Would you have gone out on a date with Edward if we tried to introduce you the way Edward is asking for?"

Bella went silent for a while, before replying softly, "No, Mom, probably not."

My mother started saying the same thing. "And you Edward? You wouldn't…"

I held up one hand, stopping her before this thing went out of hand and then said gently, "Mom, I know I didn't have time for dating and that's why you arranged this marriage. I don't regret marrying Bella."

I turned my head slightly to meet Bella's eyes, and then continued, "I can never regret having Bella in my life. But you could have told us about our being friends."

This time Charlie spoke up. "You knew about this. Esme told us she told you about your pasts."

Finally, Bella's control started to slip and she replied in a firm tone, "No, Dad. Esme hinted that we knew each other. That's all. Why did you not tell us about the loss and pain we felt when you separated us? Why not tell us the reason behind this wedding? It was not just because you thought we needed someone in our lives. It was to fend off your guilty conscience—the guilt you have felt for separating us in the first place."

All the four people on the screen along—with myself—looked at Bella, with shock written all over our faces. After a few beats, my mom asked in a shaky voice, "How did you know about that, Bella?"

Bella scoffed. "It's not hard to guess, Esme. I mean, obviously we meant a lot to each other. And since we've never seen much pictures or videos of the four years we knew each other, it means you hid those… all of you. That means we must have been pretty sad to miss each other. And that must have made you feel guilty to watch your kids grow up, not knowing a part of their lives. So you got us married—to soothe your guilt. Am I wrong?"

I was feeling immensely proud of my Bella—not because she was being rude to our parents, but because she was standing up for herself. She was fighting for us. I squeezed her hand lightly, telling her with my touch, '_I am right here with you.'_

Bella let out a breath at the touch and then leaned into me. I immediately wrapped one arm around her shoulders, hugging her to my side.

Charlie's eyes zeroed in on my arm as he arched an eyebrow. "It seems whatever the reason is, you guys are not having any major problems with the arrangement."

I decided to answer him, seeing that his eyes were focused on me, "Listen, Charlie, the point to be noted is not if we're having any problems or not. The point is we are both adults. And if you plan to make any decisions about our lives with ulterior motives, we'd like to know about them before _we_ make the final decision."

My father tried to settle everything down as he said calmly, "Alright. We'll give you the full truth. Bella is right. We couldn't take how sad Edward got when we went to London and he found out that we were never going back to Bella again. So we boxed up every physical reminder of the memories he had of Bella, and with time, he forgot about the friend he used to dote on. All these years we had kept contact with Charlie and Reneé. When we decided to come back here, we finally had a way of righting the wrong we had done by separating you. Maybe it was for wrong reasons, but Edward, I still am very happy to see you have Bella by your side."

Charlie let out a deep breath before joining in. "Bells, you were a mess when he left. You wouldn't talk to anyone. You would just sit on the tire swing I made for the two of you and wait for Edward to come and push you. When Carlisle told us what they had done to divert Edward's mind, we tried it. It didn't work very well. You were still sad all the time—until you went to kindergarten and met Rose. I know I have misused your trust, kid, but I honestly thought that he was a good man for you."

Bella gave him a slight smile and then turned her teary eyes on me. Disregarding who was watching us, she brought up one hand and held it against my cheek. Then she whispered, "You were wrong to hide it, dad, but you were right on one account. He really is the best man for me." I grinned at her and placed a kiss on her temple.

A sob suddenly brought us out of our bubble, and startled, we turned towards the on-lookers. While Charlie looked uncomfortable as hell, my dad looked proud. The sob however was coming from none other than the mini-Sounds… our moms.

"MOM!" we both called out together. And then everyone started laughing. Finally when she had calmed down, Esme asked us timidly, "Forgive us, kids?"

I shook my head. "There's nothing to forgive, Mom. Just promise you won't hide anything from us again."

Bella leaned into me to get to the screen and said loudly, "And, promise that you will let us make our own decisions."

When everyone acquiesced, we said our goodbyes and shut the computer off. Then I took Bella's chin between my thumb and forefinger and tilted her head to meet her lips with mine. After placing a soft kiss on her lips, I smiled against them and mumbled, "I cannot tell you how proud I am of you, baby. You looked so sexy—being all stern and demanding answers."

Bella kissed me again before moving her head away to meet my eyes, and then she said seriously, "Edward, I know we didn't know what we were vowing when we said those words. But now that I have grown to know you, I want to promise something to you and I hope, you will return the gesture as well."

I ran the back of my knuckles on her cheek bone and said sincerely, "I will promise you anything, Bella." And then to lighten the mood, I teased, "Though I must say, I have a weak eyesight. So if you want me to promise to read you bed time stories when we're old, I can't help you there."

Bella laughed at my joke and shook her head. "No, we'll read the stories together. What I want to promise you is that I will always talk to you. I won't shut you out. I will share my thoughts with you… so that we don't get into problems like this… ever."

I smiled. "I promise to share all my crazy thoughts with you too. I promise to not hide anything from you. I will make time for us to talk. So that we don't let any distance come in between us."

Bella let out a happy sigh and said 'Thank you' before moving slightly to sit on my lap. Taking the hint, I wrapped my arms around her waist and pulled her chest tight against mine. Then I placed a kiss on her earlobe and whispered, "We missed our morning kiss, Baby."

"We don't want that to happen, do we?" She pouted and then, without letting me say another word, she clutched the back of my head in her hand and slammed her lips on mine… not that I was complaining. After kissing for a while, I had to say the annoying words, "We have to get to work, Baby."

Bella sighed and got out of my lap. She was almost out of the door when she called back, "Edward, I think we're ready." And then with a giggle, she left the room.

I didn't grasp the meaning at first. And then… a gasp left my mouth. _She means… oh God!_ Cue the boner… I looked down at my lap, groaning and mentally telling my dick, "_Just a bit longer, buddy. We'll see action tonight. The missus is ready… the game is on!_"

**A/N: Phew! Yep, the last line is from Sherlock. I am a total Sherlocked girl so, don't blame me. ;)**

**Thank you for all the good luck wishes. My exam went great. :)**

**Now let me know your thoughts about the chapter and leave a review.**

**The songs I listened to while writing this are: Wide Awake by Katy Perry and Turn The Night Up by Enrique Iglesias. Go and listen to them if you haven't already. Just think of Bella saying those words in Wide Awake to her parents. :)**

**Take care.**

**Ann**


	37. Chapter-37: Sprinkle of Love

**Disclaimer: No copyrights infringement intended. I don't own Twilight saga or any of its awesome characters.**

**A/N: Thanks to everyone who has reviewed, favorited, put on alert or simply... read OTC. You guys make my days a little bit brighter. Thank you. Without anymore babbling, I'll let you get to the most anticipated chapter yet.**

**WARNING: THIS CHAPTER IS RATED NC-17. SO IF YOU'RE UNDERAGE OR ARE OFFENDED BY SUCH MATURE ADULT CONTENT, DO NOT PROCEED. OTHERS, KEEP GOING. ;)**

**Enjoy Chapter-37 and I'll see you at the end of this chapter! ;-)**

**Chapter-37: Sprinkle of Love**

**BPOV**

Upon reaching the hospital, I was about get out of the car when Edward took my hand and brought it to his mouth to brush a kiss on my knuckles. A warm and fuzzy feeling started to spread through my very being because of this crazy, sexy, rude and caring man. And then he opened his mouth and whispered, while looking into my eyes, "Tonight, Baby."

I felt a shiver of anticipation run down my spine and the ever present blush rapidly covering my cheeks. I surreptitiously checked to see if we were alone in the garage before leaning in to brush my lips against his. With a murmur of '_Tonight_', I ran out of the car, leaving behind my very smug husband.

**-OTC-**

"Alright, Swan, you have been blushing every 5 seconds today. Spill it. What's up? Should I need to kick _anyone's_ ass today?" Rosalie's voice brought me out of my Edward-induced day dream. Her emphasis on the word anyone told me who she was referring to.

I opened my mouth to tell her to calm down when he owner of the ass himself—Edward—took his seat at our lunch table.

Without sparing a glance at Rosalie, he looked at me and winked… and that definitely worsened the condition I was in. So I did what I could without putting any effort—I blushed—_again_. This made him smile broadly before he went to dig into his sandwich._ How the fuck can he make eating a sandwich look so hot? This should be illegal!_

A bump to my shoulder brought me out of my shameless ogling at Edward's now grinning mouth. I quickly turned to look at Rosalie. When she arched an eyebrow, silently asking me what was going on I smiled sweetly at her.

First, she looked confused as hell and then it seemed to click in place and with a very low squeal she hugged me to her side_ (Maybe she was spending too much time with Alice…_) and then, she pulled me by my hand and stood up, leading me away from prying ears of brother-like figures and the main subject matter of the upcoming inquisition—Edward.

Edward must have caught our little exchange, because he smirked at me when I passed him, and I couldn't help but stick my tongue out at him. The sounds of his chuckles sent those butterflies in my stomach aflutter as Rose and I exited the cafeteria.

Once she had checked all the stalls in the bathroom for lurkers, Rose swiftly locked the door behind her and turned to face me.

"Alright, Isabella Marie, tell me. What's going on between you two?" she asked. By the smile in the corner of her mouth, I think she had guessed it correctly.

I sighed and smiled at her. "I am happy, Rose. He makes me happy. I think… I cannot believe I am saying this but… I think I am falling in love with him! Isn't that crazy?"

Rose laughed lightly and then replied, "That is completely crazy, Bell. You know what else is crazy?"

When I shook my head she smiled. "It is crazy that we'll both fall in love at the same time… with brothers! With luck, we may actually become sisters for real one day!"

I let out a squeal _(Okay, so maybe I was spending too much time with Alice as well…)_ and hugged her. After we had cooled down somewhat, Rose placed one hand on my shoulder and said softly, "One more thing, Bell." I looked questioningly at her, asking her to continue and she did. She said, "I think you have already fallen in love with him. So has he… with you."

I felt my mouth dry up and swallowed the life-long insecurities trying to come out and asked in an equally soft voice, "You think so?"

She shook her head and smiled. "No, B, I _know_ so. I can see it… on both of your faces."

I still couldn't believe it and started to say, "I don't know, Rose…"

She threw her hands up in exasperation. "Dude, you can be so clueless sometimes! I think when love comes running and bites you in the ass, only then you'll believe."

After her little rant, she calmed down and said with a smile, "Your heart knows it, B. Just allow your head to play catch-up."

With that she left, noticing that our break was over. As I walked back up to my ward, I remembered the last few days I had spent with Edward. I didn't know about playing catch-ups but what I did know was equally exciting and scary as shit… _I was definitely falling in love with Edward Cullen… my husband and soon-to-be lover._

**EPOV**

The whole day, I kept racking my brain for ways to make the following night romantic and how to make it easier for Bella. As a man of medicine, I knew that the first time was supposed to be hurtful for the woman, and the thought of hurting my girl made me want to somehow fast-forward the first time. _But that won't do; because Bella deserved to be loved and cherished just the right way. And I will be damned if I let her be disappointed._

So, trying to be the husband she deserved and googled ways to romanticize sex. "_Yeah, I am a geek but she still wants me. So shove it ass-hole!"_ I mentally gave my inner monologue the middle finger.

Candle lit dinner…. _Nope, we'll get out of work around ten because of the evening shift. No chance of getting that one._

Next.

Start watching a movie and then ease into it… _No way! I am not going to share my Bella-time with that stupid Vampire fucker._

Pass.

In front of a fire-place… _Don't have one. Hmm… maybe someday though…_

Filed away for future reference.

Taking a relaxing bath beforehand… _Now we're getting somewhere… but maybe not our first time though… _

Again, for future reference.

Sharing a drink to loosen up…. _Yeah, don't think so. Drunken Bella was quite possibly the scariest Bella…_

Next.

Sharing a picnic meal at the outdoors…_ Sounds nice actually. Maybe when we're not fumbling virgins though… and when it's not around midnight!_

Noted.

Showering the place with flower petals… _Yeah, buddy, that's romantic but there's no way in hell I'll be able to find flowers at ten to decorate the place._

Pass.

And then suddenly I saw it; the perfect way to make our night magical and romantic at the same time. _Cullen, you're a freaking genius man!_

Now I had to wait for the day to end before I could have Bella as _mine_.

**-OTC-**

"Edward, is everything okay?" Bella asked me when we were on our way home. "_Great! My stupid ass grin must have made her worry if my face had got stuck at that expression._" I finally schooled my face to look happy but not too eager. _Yep, I got a poker face on!_

I reached out to take her hand in mine over the center console and smiled at her. "Everything's perfect, Bellarina."

She smiled back and started tracing the lines on my palm in a soothing manner. She can calm me right down. She was my miracle… my Bella.

I was starting to get worried as we approached our building, thinking about the task I had asked Alec to get done when I called him from hospital. _Let's hope he didn't screw anything up._

Just as I was about to unlock our door, Emmett's door opened and he came out—just like I had asked him to. He boomed in his usual over-loud voice, "BabyBell, where have you been, li'l sis? I have been looking around for you."

Bella looked startled at the sudden noise explosion but then she smiled at him. "Hey, Em, it's been really hectic at work lately. I feel like I haven't seen you in a while. How are you?"

Em tried to look hurt and said dryly, "Why would you remember this brother anyway? You are always spending time with Eddie. You don't care about me anymore."

Bella—ever the softie—fell for his pouting and said caringly, "No, Em, that not true. You are my big brother. I always miss you." Then she added conspiratorially, "I just have to endure Eddie because he's kind of my boss-man, ya know?"

I narrowed my eyes at her and she blew me a kiss. Then following the plan, Em said, "Do you have some time, BabyBell? I needed some advice from you… for Rosie's Christmas present."

Bella gave me a shrug, showing her unwillingness to leave me. When I nodded at her and said, "Go ahead, Bella. I'll wait _up_ for you," she blushed, probably catching the innuendo and nodded back before following Em back to his place.

Just as he was closing the door Em grinned at me. I rolled my eyes, silently telling him, "_Yeah, yeah, you'll get to win in the next time we play Call of Duty in Rosalie's presence._"

Then I entered our home and started moving frantically, trying to set everything up for Bella's return.

**BPOV**

After a very weird conversation with Emmett—where he asked me if he should buy Rose makeup, if yes then which brand she preferred, if clothes were a safer choice, how much risk he'd be in of losing his balls if he bought her a sweatshirt saying '_Sole property of Emmett Cullen_', if getting her a platter of Esme's Chocolate Chip Cookies counted as present from him and so on—I opened the door of our place. And then, I gasped.

The whole place was darkened out, with only candles lighting the way from the foyer to the living room. As I followed the candle-lit pathway, I felt my heart bursting with sudden tenderness I felt for the man I knew was behind this.

I removed my jacket and left it on the back of a chair, and then, I took off my shoes, eager to get to the man at the end of the line. As I stepped into the living room, I saw the man I had been dreaming of for the past few months… the man who meant a lot to me… the man who was my personal Adonis—standing in the middle of the room, surrounded by hundreds of candles with a soft smile gracing his lips.

My heart clenched at the sight. I couldn't believe that this incredible man wanted me as much as I wanted him. _This must be a dream._ I don't know how I walked, but suddenly, I was standing in front of him.

I reached up to run my hand through his sexy-as-fuck hair when a sudden beeping noise infiltrated our bubble, startling us both.

The incessant beeping noise continued as I tried to remember what it stood for, when suddenly, Edward's eyes turned into large ping-pong balls. The next thing I knew, he was rushing towards the dining room and I was following him.

I could smell smoke as we entered the room, and then a sudden _zirrr_ sound came to our ears and before we knew it, the sprinkler—which must have been activated by the heat—had soaked both Edward and me with freezing cold water._ Can you say throwing cold water to cool down one's libido?_

After the initial shock wore off, Edward turned to face me with a guilty expression on his face and said apologetically, "This was not part of the plan, Bella. I am sorry."

All I managed to do was to shake my head at his unnecessary apology and then, turned to inspect what had caused the fire.

In the end, it turned out that two candles had fallen down on the Oriental rug and had set it on fire, making the fire alarm go off; which in turn, had activated the sprinkler and caused us to look like two drowning cats.

The culprit rug had already been put off by the water, so I motioned towards the candles and suggested, "Maybe we should blow these out as well?" Edward nodded and then sighed, as he made his way to the living room to blow out the candles there.

I switched on the lights and then proceeded to put out the candles in the dining room and the foyer. By the time I was done, Edward had taken care of rest of the candles and the fire alarm had been reset.

I took in the sad expression on his face and went to wrap my arms around him in a hug. I placed my head on his chest and said, "Don't be so sad, baby. It's the gesture that counts and I can honestly say that this was the most romantic thing anyone has ever done for me. Thank you. It was really beautiful."

However the chill of a December night coupled with my wet clothes made me feel too damn cold. By the end of my speech, my teeth had started to chatter and Edward had started running his hands up and down my arms, trying to warm me up. He tilted my head with his thumb and index finger and said, "I am glad you don't see this as complete stupidity."

I shook my head, realizing that the words of that bitch, Tanya, still haunted him, and said with disgust, "Don't let that shit-headed bitch make you feel like you're stupid, Edward. You are one of the most brilliant men I know. And it really was the most thoughtful and sweetest thing anyone has ever done for me. Now don't think of that hag. Tonight's supposed to be ours, remember?"

He smiled at me and nodded. "Every night after tonight will be ours, Baby," he promised me. "But first we should get you out of these wet clothes. I don't want you catching cold."

I felt so contented to see him worrying about my well-being that I grabbed his head and then gave him the kiss I was going to place on his lips when I first saw him amidst the candles. He kissed me back softly and then, in a sudden motion, he picked me up in his arms bridal style. As he walked up the stairs with me in his arms, I couldn't help but feel my heart begin thumping loudly in my chest. _This was it._

**-OTC-**

This time, Edward did not ask me if I wanted him to take me to my room or his; because he didn't need to. And maybe because I was trying to live up to my recently acquired nickname, '_Vampire Girlfriend,_' and was kissing his jaw and neck—anywhere I could reach—while holding on to his shirt collar for dear life.

When we reached his room, Edward put me down on my feet and tried to step away. But I, being a horny bitch, quickly wrapped my arms around his neck and reached for his lips with mine. Edward put his hands on either side of my hips and kissed me for a few seconds. Then he ran his hand over my shoulders and I shivered—both from the cold and his touch.

Edward quickly slowed down the kiss and stepped back slightly, making sure to keep our hips separated. I was about to complain but he put one finger on my lips and said, "Baby, we've got all night. You need to get out of these clothes. You're cold."

I couldn't argue with that but because of habit, I had to put in something. So I petulantly pointed to his shirt and said, "Your shirt is wet too. What if _you_ catch cold? If you get to worry about my well being, I certainly can do the same for you too."

He gave me the crooked smile and nodded. "How about we both get out of these wet stuff? You can stay in here while I change in the bathroom."

I took a deep breath, realizing that if he was too much of a gentleman to make the first move then I would have to bite the bullet. So I looked directly into his eyes and said in a shaky yet determined voice, "I think it will be more efficient if we help each other out of these wet clothes, don't you?"

Without allowing him to protest, I reached for his shirt and started to unbutton it. A low groan left his mouth before he placed his hands on my hips again and stood perfectly still—a silent invitation for me to have my way with him. A sudden sense of power surged through me as I quickly pushed his shirt off his shoulders. He shrugged the shirt off, letting it fall to the floor.

I slowly but deliberately placed my hands on his chest, and then, just because he was so sexy and handsome and mine, I placed a kiss at the base of his throat. And once I had a taste of his salty skin in my mouth and undiluted scent of him in my nose, I continued kissing his chest—all over… wherever I could reach.

I peeked at him to see his reaction as I let my hand slowly move downwards past his stomach and stopping over his zipper. Another low groan came out from the back of his throat as he tilted his head back. His eyes were clenched shut and I could feel his hands digging into my skin. I lowered my eyes and took in the very prominent bulge in his jeans. "_That must be painful, right? I mean with so much blood rushing in one part of his body… I should help him out… free him."_ I said to myself as I grasped the zipper in between my fingers and tugged it down.

Before I could chicken out, I grabbed the waistband of his jeans and underwear together and pulled them down past his knees. Another groan escaped his tight-lipped mouth as he sprang free of the confines of his jeans. Not wanting to be side-tracked, I let his pants stay where they were and slowly touched the part of him that had been almost a mystery to me up to that point.

Now I may have watched porn before, _I mean come on; you cannot be Rosalie Hale's best friend and not watch porn_… but seeing Edward in real life was much better than anything I had seen before.

I was fascinated by the silky and smooth yet hard texture of him and kept touching him when finally Edward broke the silence. "Baby, if you don't stop right now, I will be done in two seconds. And I don't want that."

The husky timbre of his voice made my face flush with color and I let go of him before meeting his eyes with a guilty look. I bit my lip and said, "I'm sorry."

In a swift motion, he freed himself from the jeans and underwear that were hanging around his ankles and then hugged me to his chest. I could feel his body—his gloriously naked body—against me.

A squeak-like sound came out of me as soon as the thought hit me. Edward was oblivious though. He buried his nose in my hair and mumbled, "There's nothing to be sorry for, Baby. Though I must say, this kind of feels one-sided."

I took a deep breath, forcing myself to not blush and replied boldly, "Then why don't you do something about it? No one is stopping you."

A mischievous smile came on to his lips and he winked. "Hmm… you're right. Maybe I should remedy the situation."

I felt a shiver run down my spine, and like a mute, I nodded—unable to make myself speak anymore. He fingered the hem of my purple sweater for a moment and then grasped it and pulled it over my head. The cold air hit my overheated body, making me shiver again.

Edward cupped my face in his hands and brought our lips together. A slight brush… a more sure touch and then it all became too much for me.

I literally assaulted him, trying to weld our lips together. He didn't refuse, he didn't push me away. Instead, he grabbed hold of my head with one hand and tilted my head so that he could deepen the kiss. His other hand was moving lower. His thumbs slightly brushed the curve of my breast before moving down… down… down… to grab the waistband of my jeans.

I was starting to feel asphyxiated when he let go of my lip and started to place wet kisses down my throat. Before I knew it, I felt cold air hit my thighs meaning I had just lost my pants. I gasped, which made him chuckle. "Cold, baby?"

Determinedly, I shook my head and said, "No. I am too warm actually."

He raised his head and grinned at me. "Good, because I am about to set you on fire, Bella." I was about to ask him what the hell he meant by that when he grasped my waist in his hands and lifted me up so that my wet soggy jeans tumbled down to the ground. In the next minute, he had put me down on my feet and was already resuming his previous path of kisses. And then I felt… him.

I know I had touched him before but this time, I felt him brushing the skin of my stomach—skin on skin. Another shiver raked though my body and Edward looked up at me to check if I was indeed okay. The goose bumps on my skin caught his attention and without another word, he picked me up and carefully placed me down on the bed.

He took in the sight of me—lying almost naked in his bed—and then shook his head. "I am the luckiest son of a bitch in the world." I let out an inpatient sound, and he smiled. "Patience is a virtue, Baby."

I couldn't help but snark back, "And virtue is exactly what I am offering you. So you gonna get up here, Cullen?"

He smirked and started to climb up on the bed. And then suddenly, he was hovering over me and kissing along my collar bone. He moved his lips sideways and when he found his way restricted by my bra, he nuzzled the strap, trying to get it to move.

I took pity on him—and myself—and arched upwards to unclasp the damn thing. Once it was undone, I looked at the intense look on his face and shrugged it off of me and threw it somewhere behind him.

Edward didn't look down at first. He kept his gaze fixed on my face and when I bit my lip, not knowing what to do—he seemed to snap out of it. He finally let his gaze move downwards—to my chest. And then _he_ let out a moan before bringing his hands up to cup my breasts in his palms. He lightly squeezed me and then moved his thumbs in circles over my nipples.

I felt them harden underneath his touch and he let out a sigh—a happy sigh. "You're so beautiful, Baby. You're my beautiful girl. You are perfect, Bellarina."

If it was anyone else saying those words, I would have snorted, or scoffed, or slapped them on their heads, or quite possibly do all of above. But hearing Edward say those words made me want to believe them… and I did believe him; because in that moment, there was no one but Edward and I in the world.

Checking my face for any sign of discomfort, he lowered his mouth and started placing kisses on my breasts. They were not the feather-light kisses he lavished on me before; no, they were hungry, and passionate, and wet kisses, making me want to do… something. The moment his mouth closed around one nipple, I practically leapt out off the bed.

I should have felt embarrassed to have him see me like this, but I wasn't. The only thought running through my mind was, "_I need more… more of his kisses… his touches… his tongue… more Edward._"

As if he could read my thoughts, he took his hand off of my breast, and I whimpered at the loss, which then turned into a moan as he placed the hand on my hip. He was breathing heavily as he pleaded with me, "Baby, can I take this off? I need to see all of you Bella. Please."

I don't know what I said; just that some garbled words left my mouth but he seemed to be fluent in garbled-Bella-tongue. Because the next thing I knew, my panties were gone and Edward's fingers were moving languidly up and down my lower lips. "_Thank fuck I shaved this morning!" _was the only rational thought I could form before I felt one of his fingers circle me down _there_.

I moaned softly before looking down, and the sight that greeted me nearly shoved me over the edge. Edward was lying in between my legs with his fingers exploring me and an intense expression on his face—as if I am his greatest discovery. Without thinking, I reached down and grabbed a handful of his hairs and started tugging—wanting his lips back on mine.

He complied, and took my lips to his in a tender yet passionate kiss—the way only he could kiss, I am sure. As our faces lined up, so did the rest of us and I felt him brushing my embarrassingly wet folds. Loud moans escaped both of us at the sensation. Edward used one elbow to hold his weight up and hovered over me, panting the words out, "I can't wait anymore, Baby. I need you, Bella."

I slipped my hands under his arms and held onto his shoulder blades for dear life as I gasped out, "Then take me, Edward. Make me your wife."

My last words had an incredible effect on him because with a possessive roar, he slipped himself in me slightly. I could feel him stretching me when he reached my barrier. He looked right into my eyes, and with a groan, that sounded like 'mine,' he entered me fully in a stroke. A stinging pain gripped me and I clamped my mouth shut, determined not to let him hear a sound of my pain.

But my eyes must have betrayed me because through my tightly closed eyelids tears were streaming down. I felt Edward place a kiss on my eyelids as he whispered, "Shh, Love, I am so sorry. If could take away your pain, I would. Believe me, Love."

A ragged breath left me as his soothing words and the retracting pain made other thoughts come into the forefront of my mind. I opened my eyes to see Edward holding very still and looking scared as he stared at my face. I smiled at him trying to take away his worry and placed a kiss on the side of his neck, "I am alright, Edward. It doesn't hurt anymore."

I was hoping to get a smile in return, but he just continued to stare at me. I quirked an eyebrow, not knowing if I should ask; when he said in a whisper, "I forgot to put on a condom. I bought the fucking shit today and now I forget it! I am an irresponsible jerk."

Before he could try and kick his own ass, I stopped him with a hand on his cheek. My touch seemed to calm him down somewhat and I giggled at his lost and worried expression. "Edward, I am on the pill. I have been on it for the last five years. It helps with the cramps." I grimaced not wanting to have this discussion right now—which brought me to the point I was trying to make.

I cleared my throat and smiled at him. "Not that I this is unpleasant, but I was kind of hoping you'd… move."

Edward blushed, making the tip of his ears turn pink. I started to giggle, but then he twisted his hips slightly, and my giggle died down to turn into a loud moan. The sound seemed to spur him on because he quickly pulled out almost all the way before slowly entering me again. _So this is moving… God! Edward can move!_

I totally agreed with my subconscious and let out another moan. _God! Can I be anymore louder?_ Edward nudged his nose against mine and smiled. "Of course, you can, Baby. There's no one but us in here and your moans are kind of a turn on."

Realizing that I had spoken out loud, I tried to divert his attention and wrapped my legs around his waist. A loud grunt came out of his mouth as he felt the result of shift in angle. I grinned at him, "You're right. Sounds can be a turn on."

He narrowed his eyes and quickened his pace. Soon I couldn't think of anything else other than Edward and me… and Edward _in_ me. I could feel my stomach tightening when Edward whispered loudly, "Are you there, Baby? I can't hold on much longer."

I whimpered and tugged on his hair, trying to reach the top together. And then, he touched my clit with his finger and I was falling… down to the abyss of the most powerful orgasm in the history of orgasms.

In my haze, I could feel Edward thrust into me once more before stilling. A sudden rush of liquid between my legs told me he had been there with me all along.

When we were both breathing normally again, I took in our positions. In the last few minutes, Edward had turned us so that now I was lying spread-eagle on top of his chest and his hands were moving leisurely on my lower back. I raised my head, suddenly feeling shy, and looked at the man who was now my husband—in every sense of the word.

Edward had a wide-ass grin plastered on his face as he met my eyes. "We are amazing together."

A startled laughter burst out of my mouth and all the shyness disappeared. "I shouldn't stroke your ego and say yes. So I would say 'no comments'."

He moved our hips separating us and making me flinch at the slight movement. Then he smirked. "You can always stroke something else, Baby."

I lightly slapped his chest before starting to get up. _I need to clean up…_

But Edward's arms encircled my waist and he held on to me. "Where are you going?" I could hear the slight tone of desperation in his voice.

I mentally shook my head and thought, "_Silly man, does he think I will leave him now that he has popped my cherry?_"

Trying to reassure him that I had absolutely no intention of going anywhere, I leaned down and kissed his jaw and then said, "I need to clean up, Baby. It's kind of sticky down there."

As soon as he realized why I was moving his face lit up in a bright smile and he said sweetly, "Let me take care of you, please?" _How do you say no to those eyes?_ The answer was simple you don't say _no_. So I let out a sigh and nodded at him. With a kiss on my lips, he got out of bed and went into the bathroom.

Within seconds, he was back, holding a wet wash cloth. He placed one hand on my knee and cleaned me up carefully, making me feel my stupid heart try to beat its way out of my chest. When he was done, he went to put the wash cloth back in his bathroom and returned to me.

As he climbed in behind me and spooned me in his arms, he placed one hand on my stomach and kissed my temple before wishing me 'good night'. Lying under the covers, wrapped in Edward's arms, I felt a smile creeping up on my face. _I was Mrs. Edward Cullen… I was his, and by some weird hoodoo, he was mine. What more could a girl ask for?_

**A/N: So, thoughts? Was it worth the slow burn?**

**Let me know and leave a review.**

**The songs I listened to, while writing this chapter, are: Waiting for Tonight- Jennifer Lopez and I'll Make Love to You- Boys 2 Men.**

**Regarding the confusion with the Sherlock-line in the previous chapter, I used the line from the TV Show named Sherlock where the line is "The game is on!"**

**On another thought, I feel bad that I cannot reply to those of you who leave guest reviews and one review in the previous chapter made me want to reply back to her. So, Aurelie, if you're reading this, let me tell you, I used google translate to understand what you said in your review and all I can say is, "Merci. Bisous, bisous." :)**

**Take care everyone.**

**Ann**


	38. Chapter-38: A Taste of Coffee and Bella

**Disclaimer: No copyrights infringement intended. I don't own Twilight saga or any of its awesome characters. But I do own Adorableward… :-)**

**A/N: Thanks to everyone who has reviewed, favorited, put on alert or simply... read OTC. You guys make my days a little bit brighter. Thank you. **

**I am glad you enjoyed the last chapter. So shall we see how the morning after goes? ;-)**

**Enjoy Chapter-38 and I'll see you at the end of this chapter!**

**Chapter-38: A Taste of Coffee and Bella**

**BPOV**

I was too warm. "_Wait, is that an arm hanging over my ass?_" That was the first thought that came to my mind after waking up.

I held my breath and slowly opened my eyes hoping to see the owner of the said arm. What I saw was the slightly smiling face of my husband and all of the previous night came rushing back to me. A sigh left me as I thought, "_Edward was my husband now—in every sense of the word._"

I looked down, trying to take an inventory of the situation and saw that we were both naked, under the covers, and Edward's hand was now cupping my ass while my hand was resting on his chest. _Hmm… not a bad situation to wake up to_.

I remembered the caring way he had been with me the night before and the way he had held me in his arms afterwards. He was the most tender-hearted and caring man I could have ever met, I was sure of it.

With a smile on my face, decided to wake him up. I slowly leaned in and placed a kiss on the light smattering of hair on his chest. The smile on his face broadened. Again, I kissed his chest before reaching with my hand to brush against the faint pink mark still visible on his neck. Something that sounded like my name came out of his mouth in a mumble.

Feeling bolder now, I started to drag my hand down his chest, and then, I felt something poke my thigh._ "Well, hello there! Good morning to you too!_" I could feel my ovaries trying to flirt with him. As the thought occurred to me, I giggled, and then I felt the hand on my ass squeeze my ass cheeks softly.

"What's so funny?" he asked me sleepily. I looked up at him guiltily, only to see that damn smirk playing on his lips.

_Oh God! Has he been awake during my exploration?_ I felt my cheeks heat up.

Edward slowly started running the hand on my ass up and down my lower back while his other hand came up to take hold of my chin. He used his knuckles to tilt my head, and then moving his hand to hold it against my cheek, he kissed me.

It was a slow and leisurely kiss but it still made my toes curl—just a little bit. And then he smiled against my lips. "I told you you'd be blushing for a month. See you're already blushing like crazy," he murmured.

Not wanting to be the only one to lose control, I smiled sweetly at him and moved my hand from his stomach down to his friend who had been poking my thigh for some time.

As soon as my hand wrapped around his head, I felt a shudder go through his body. I looked up innocently at him and asked, "You were saying, baby?"

He chuckled before shaking his head at me, "You are the most dangerous woman in my life."

I grinned at him and then squeezed him lightly. "You better remember it, Mister." Then I felt him harden further in my hand and my concentration got diverted. _Hey, I was a virgin up until last night. I can ogle my man if I want to._

However, my intention of ogling and possibly doing something _more_ went out of the window when Edward kissed the sensitive spot behind my ear and asked, "How are you feeling, Bella?"

I thought for a minute before answering, "I'm fine; a little sore maybe. I'm not sure I can walk without giving that little fact away, but other than that, I am quite content here—in your arms." I knew that sounded cheesy but I was feeling cheesy so I told my inner bitch to shove it and went back to eyeballing my man.

He smiled shyly at my Cheshire cat like grin and said, "How about a shower? I kind of read somewhere that hot shower is good for… umm… sore muscles."

I bit my lip, not wanting to leave him alone but a shower sounding really good too. As if he could read my damn mind, he kissed my forehead and then said, "I want to take care of you. Please, Bella, I haven't had anyone to take care of before. Let me. We can pick this up later." He squeezed my hip slightly as he said the word '_this'_.

My heart clenched at his words. _It's been doing that quite a lot recently. Maybe something's going on with my heart._ I shook off that thought and then asked him, "Are you sure?"

When he nodded eagerly, I grabbed his hand and sat up on the bed. Then I said boldly, "Fine. But you'll have to join me."

A bright smile lit his face as he winked at me. "I won't have it any other way, baby."

**EPOV**

When Bella stood up from midst of the layers of sheets covering her, I had to bite back a moan. It was ridiculous how much she could turn me on by simply standing naked.

Determined to be the perfectly caring husband, and hoping to show her that I was desperately falling for her, I ignored my dick's begging for another round and led her towards my bathroom.

She was trying not to blush, but I could see her blush spreading from her face, down her neck to her chest. Stopping her with a touch of my hand on her hip, I went ahead to get the hot water running. While I was waiting for the water to heat up, I surreptitiously looked at the exquisite creature that was my wife.

Her brown waves of hair was tumbling down her back, brushing the sides of her breasts before falling down over her flat stomach. Her eyes were bright warm pools of chocolate. Her cheeks would've put cherry tomatoes to shame and her lips—her lips were curved in a beautiful breath-taking smile. _God! She's the perfect depiction of Aphrodite. She's_ my_ Aphrodite._

I held out my hand to her when the water was hot enough, and she daintily placed her small hand in my larger one.

A sudden giggle burst out of her lips, making me raise a questioning eyebrow. She shook her hand at me and laughed again, before saying, "It just occurred to me that we were behaving like regency world gentleman and lady while we are both standing her completely naked."

I chuckled at her train of thought. _What goes in that mind of hers, I'd never guess!_ Then playing the part of the naked gentleman she had portrayed me in, I bowed down in front of her and asked in a formal voice, "Will Mi'lady want to join this man in a very relaxing shower?"

She rolled her eyes at my silliness before nodding. "Why, I'd be delighted, Sir."

Then, not liking the distance between us, I yanked her into my arms and stepped under the shower head. She gasped when the water first hit her body before letting out an appreciative moan. Trying very hard not to reenact the night before when she made those sounds for a very different reason, I reached for my shampoo bottle.

When she saw me holding the bottle, she frowned and said, "I don't have my shower things in here. Maybe I should…"

I quickly smacked a kiss on her lips, stopping her from talking and then offered, "Maybe you should share mine. I did say in my vows that what's mine is going to be yours."

She bit her lip and nodded, and I couldn't help but smirk at her. "Besides, I kind of like the idea of you smelling like me all day."

Bella snorted in her cute way. "Yeah, I bet you would like that. You're such a caveman sometimes," she said.

When I didn't say anything else, she grabbed my hand and placed it on her head before whispering, "I like the idea of me smelling like you as well. Maybe I'm a cavewoman to your caveman."

With a grin on my face, I shampooed her hair and then poured a little body wash on my hands and started to rub the suds on her. When I reached the apex of her thighs, I crouched down in front of her and laid a light kiss just over her bare lips before thoroughly cleaning her. The shiver that ran down her body made me determined to explore that part more in the future.

Just as I was running my hands down the outsides of her thighs, she grabbed hold of my hair and tugged lightly. Realizing she wanted me to stand up, I did just that, and then she attacked me—first with her lips and then with the shampoo.

I don't think I had ever had a more arousing shower before. When she finally reached my dick—with her hand slick with soap—I swear, the fucker was weeping with relief.

She had a determined look on her face as she rubbed me and the moment she brushed her finger over the head, I almost begged her, "Bella, baby, stop or I'm gonna come."

She looked me in the eye and smiled before saying, "Good. That's what I want you to do. I want to take care of you too, Edward. Please."

With a resigned groan, I crushed my lips against hers as her hand started moving faster. Result? Her hands being covered with my jizz soon after that and then her washing me clean once again. _She makes me feel like the luckiest fucker in the world._

**-OTC-**

Once we were out of the shower and wrapped in towels, Bella asked me, "So I'm sure you've worked up an appetite. What do you want for breakfast?"

My stomach grumbled at the sound of food and I grinned. "It's our day off. Why don't you go and get dressed and then we'll go out for breakfast?"

She smiled shyly at me and said, "I'd like that. I'll be back in a few."

With a light kiss on my lips, she went out of the room—leaving me grinning like an idiot.

**-OTC-**

We were half-way through our breakfast of bagels and sandwiches at a nearby bistro, when Bella suddenly made a squeak-like sound. Alarmed, I quickly turned to see what it was and saw that she was grinning at the flyer a kid had handed us when we were walking here from home.

I craned my neck to read it over her head but found it to be a usual advertisement thing._ What's up with the squeak?_

Bella must have detected the confusion on my face because she gave a sheepish smile before holding the flyer out to me. I took it from her hand and read it. It was about some coffee shop that had just opened up. I was still confused when I met Bella's eyes.

She excitedly pointed out the address of the place and said, "It's right across the street from home. We can get coffee to go from there before going to work."

I frowned at her. "I thought you liked the coffee maker?"

She nodded. "I do. I love it, Edward. But it's a different type of fun getting coffee from coffee shops some days," she said excitedly.

I shrugged before saying, "I still don't get it."

She huffed and held up the remaining piece of my bagel to my lips. "Here, eat up," she commanded.

I eyed her suspiciously before taking the whole thing in my mouth and then started to chew. After I had swallowed the mouthful of food, she took my hand and stood up. "C'mon. I'm gonna take you to that place. You're gonna have coffee with me, Mister."

I started to complain about not wanting to have coffee, but she stopped me by placing a hand on my cheek. "Trust me, Edward. You'll like it."

I couldn't say no to the earnest expression on her face. So I threw down some money on the table and interlaced our fingers. Then I said, "Alright, Mrs. Cullen, lead the way," making her giggle once again.

**-OTC-**

By the time we got to the coffee shop, Bella's excitement was almost palpable. When I stopped before the place to look up at the shop's name, Bella tightened her hold on my hand and pulled me in through the door.

It was the first time I had been inside an establishment like that in the US and it actually was pretty nice.

There was a low hum of people talking and moving around. I turned to look at Bella and saw her take a deep breath with her eyes closed.

A happy smile came on to her lips as she opened her eyes and looked at me and asked, "See what I was talking about? The smell of coffee and the sound of people—it's actually pretty awesome, don't you think?"

I smiled down at her and reached up to tangle my hand in her hair. I hugged her close to me and buried my nose in her hair. Then I said in a muffled voice, "You're wrong. The smell and the sound are both breath-taking." As I let her go, she blushed, knowing I was talking more about her than the place.

"Well, come on, we should order." She started walking towards the counter with me in a tow.

There was an elderly woman at the counter. She saw us and smiled, "Welcome to Jane's Coffee Shop. What can I get you, sweetheart?"

I wanted to ask for black tea but Bella's excitement for having me share coffee with her made me reconsider. So I looked at Bella for help, not knowing that much about coffee.

She took the hint and said in a pleasant manner, "Hi, I'd like a Vanilla Mocha and he'll have a…" she considered for a minute before asking me, "You always prefer black, right?" I nodded, not sure where she was going with it.

She turned back to the lady and said confidently, "Long Macchiato with cocoa." The woman smiled at us and told us to have a seat.

After we were seated at a nearby table, I asked Bella, "What did you order for me?"

She bit her lip, suddenly looking unsure, and murmured, "It's a Macchiato. It has less milk than latté and I figured you'd like to try that since you drink black tea. If you want, I can change it to something else."

I frowned and asked, "These latté and macchiato are all coffee? Why use so many names for one thing? Why not call it all coffee? I mean, for tea, there's just tea."

Bella laughed lightly and leaned forward to straighten my furrowed brows with her fingers. Then she smirked. "You are a tea-lover and you don't know that tea comes in different flavors as well? Boy! You have a lot to catch up on. Lucky for you, I am a total coffee-chick."

I was about to open my mouth to give her a smart-ass reply when the bell at the counter rang, indicating that our orders were up.

Before I could get out of my seat Bella was standing there at the counter, taking the coffee mugs from the old lady. I saw the woman whisper something in Bella's ear. Then Bella turned to look at me and blushed before saying something to the woman in return. _Man, I think they're talking about me. Is my hair sticking up too funny?_

As I was running my fingers through my hair, trying to tame it down a little, Bella came back to the table. "You know if you keep doing that, your hair will stick out in every direction and people are gonna think that I electrocuted you or some shit. Your hair looks fine, Edward," she said, as she put down a mug before me.

I narrowed my eyes at her and asked, "What were you and the woman talking about?"

She smiled before replying in a teasing tone, "Wouldn't you like to know?" _Yes, I would actually, very much. Did she tell you my hair makes me look like a scarecrow and to dump my ass?_

I was still considering if I should ask her that when she huffed. "It's nothing, Edward. She was just making small talk. Go ahead and try your coffee."

I complied and just before taking a sip I looked at her. With my eyes trained on her, I took my first sip of coffee. "_Hmm, it's not _that_ bad. Well, it's not bad actually."_ I took another sip. "_It's actually pretty good. Maybe I should try this again someday._"

As the thought crossed my mind, my eyes narrowed at the smile starting to peek at her lips. "Okay, what did you do? Why are you smiling like that?" I demanded.

She giggled at my sudden outburst. "I didn't do anything. I simply bought you coffee. And I am smiling at the way you were smiling. I think I can successfully say that I have converted you to a coffee lover."

I fake-scowled at her for being so good at reading me, and said, "Not a coffee-lover yet, Bellarina; maybe a coffee-tolerant is the right term."

She snickered at me, letting me know she had seen through my act, and started on her own coffee. The way her lips wrapped around the rim of the mug reminded me of the way those lips had kissed me not even a whole hour ago.

I must've stared at her lips for too long because she looked curiously at me, and then held out her mug to me. "Do you want to taste this one? It's one of my favorite drinks."

I shook my head, trying clear out the haze of lust clouding my brain and returned to my own coffee.

When we were finished, Bella paid for the coffee, saying that it was her treat to me and then we left the place—holding hands.

Once we got back home, I helped Bella out of her jacket. She thanked me and started to move towards the staircase when I wrapped one arm around her middle from behind and span her around to face me. And then I kissed her.

Bella sighed into my mouth and then licked my lips, urging me to open up—which I did, gladly. The moment out tongues touched, my hold on her waist tightened. After what felt like hours, I started to feel light-headed and separated our mouths to allow the both of us to breathe.

Bella kept running her hand through my hair and I had to taste her once more. Kissing down the line of her jaw and then moving towards her ear, I placed a kiss right below the sensitive spot I had found there and whispered, "Coffee is not that bad. But I like the taste mixed with my favorite flavor better."

She panted and moved her head to the side, allowing me more space to kiss. "What's your favorite flavor?" she asked in a breathy voice.

I smirked at her half-closed eyelids and said seriously, "You."

Immediately, blood rushed to her cheeks making me chuckle._ She really was a beautiful mixture of innocence and mischief._

**BPOV**

After lunch, Edward and I were sitting in the library on the recliner—well, he was sitting on the recliner, and I was sitting on his lap.

I was just turning a page of the novel I was reading when my eyes caught the date on the issue of the health magazine in his hands. _December? It's December already?_ I looked down at the date on Edward's watch and almost gasped. _December 14__th__? Where did the time go? Christmas was ten days away and I still hadn't gotten anyone anything! Shit! I need to buy Edward's present. It's our first Christmas. I can't _not_ give him a present._

Edward must have noticed my suddenly stiffened posture because he kissed the back of my neck right below the silver chain he gave me for my birthday. Then he asked softly, "What's wrong, Bella?"

I slowly turned around to face him and replied in a shocked voice, "Edward, it's December. We haven't done any Christmas shopping yet. What are we gonna do? I hate shopping. The stores will be crowded by now." I was to the point of starting to hyperventilate at the mere thought of shopping.

Edward brushed his thumb against my lip, effectively silencing my rant and said in a soothing voice, "Breathe, Bella. I'll tell you what we're gonna do. We're going to get ready and then head out to shopping. If we can tackle grocery shopping together, how difficult can Christmas shopping be?"

I felt myself relaxing at his calming words, not knowing the answer to his question- _very_.

**-OTC-**

After four hours of gruesome haggling, ribbing, poking and walking in the shopping mall, we finally got back home—with presents for everyone—except ourselves. I had managed to make Edward browse through clothes for Alice and ran off to a musical equipments store to order his present. I was quite positive that my _insane ninja techniques_ have successfully avoided detection.

When I got back to where I had left him, Edward was still looking like a lost boy among throngs of cashmere scarves.

I, on the other hand, was on the look out to see if he was trying to give _me_ the slip. But he did not. I don't usually like getting presents, but the swan pendant he had gotten me for my birthday made me a tiny bit excited to see what he was going to get me this time. _Well, I'm sure I can wait._

Because we were both tired, I decided to do something light for dinner. As I was starting to chop up chicken for my stir fry, Edward came into the kitchen to offer to help me out.

This time, he picked to chop the onions himself and the one he chopped was actually symmetrical! I mentally patted myself on the back for being such a great tutor while giving him a congratulatory kiss. He was my onion chopping master after all!

After dinner, we went up to our rooms and as I moved to enter mine, Edward caught my wrist and asked, "Will you sleep in here tonight?" He pointed to his bedroom.

I smiled, feeling both shy and relieved that he wanted me with him. I nodded and said softly, "If you want me to."

He grinned at me. "Of course, I do, baby." Telling him that I'll be back in a few, I went to my room to get ready for bed.

When I knocked at the open door of his room, Edward looked up at me from under the covers and held out his arms. Feeling like a little kid, I almost jumped on the bed and into his arms.

He hugged me tightly to his chest, allowing me to breathe in his scent. After a few moments he softly asked me, "How are you feeling?"

I thought for a second, before realizing what he was _actually_ asking. Then I smiled at him and replied, "Not sore."

Apparently, that was the answer he was looking for because with a chuckle, he kissed me and then we were caught in the magic we had created the night before.

Right before falling asleep in his arms, I thought to myself, "_Edward was right—we really are amazing together._"

**A/N: Any guesses what the Christmas presents are going to be?**

**The songs I used for this chapter are: Hummingbird Heartbeat by Katy Perry and One Thing by One Direction.**

**Leave me your thoughts and review, please?**

**Take care.**

**Ann**


	39. Chapter-39: The Titanium Wall

**Disclaimer: No copyrights infringement intended. I don't own Twilight saga or any of its awesome characters.**

**A/N: Thanks to everyone who has reviewed, favorited, put on alert or simply... read OTC. You guys make my days a little bit brighter. Thank you. **

**I am very sorry for not updating last Tuesday. I was pretty sick with fever. But now that I'm on the mend, I decided to update today according to my usual schedule.**

**Enjoy Chapter-39 and I'll see you at the end of this chapter! :-)**

**Chapter-39: The Titanium Wall**

**EPOV**

I was in a very cheerful mood the next day when I heard that the roaster for Christmas and New Years was announced. Both Bella and I got picked for Christmas shift but thankfully we had vacation on New Years.

It looked like Director Uley had had enough of lotteries and just decided to put down random people for duties this time.

When I saw the list hanging on the department notice board, I called Bella up to share the news with her. But her number kept going to unreachable. Not wanting her pager to say anything personal, I went to look for her myself. _Besides, I was having Bella-withdrawals from not seeing her in the last two hours._

First I checked the ward, but she was not at her desk. So I walked by the corridor, trying to see if she was by the vending machine but no luck. By then I was pretty certain where she would be—with Rosalie.

But as it turned out, I was wrong.

When I approached the pharmacy, Rosalie eyed me suspiciously as if I wasn't supposed to be there and normally, I wouldn't be.

I checked if anyone else was nearby before going up to the counter, and asked, "Miss Hale, have you seen Bella?"

She rolled her eyes at my formality and grimaced before saying thoughtfully, "You know, Cullen, if she wasn't so happy with you, I'd so kick your ass for monopolizing her. I don't get to hang out with her outside of work anymore."

I replied dryly, "I don't need my ass kicked, thanks." And then her words hit me and I found myself smiling. "Wait, she's happy with me? Did she tell you this?"

Rosalie smacked her forehead with her palm and sighed. "You really are clueless, aren't you?"

I simply nodded, not wanting to aggravate her in hopes of finding out more about Bella's feelings for me. A small smile made her lips turn upwards as she said, "She's the happiest I have ever seen her. She's always blushing and smiling. Hell, I even caught her giggling at some text you sent her the other day. So, yeah, she's sappy-happy."

I felt my heart beating faster at the thought of making Bella happy. Rosalie snickered at me. "She's clueless too, you know. So why don't you clue her in when you find her?"

I wrinkled my brows, still not getting what she meant but decided not to prolong the conversation and just asked, "Can you tell me where she is?"

Rosalie nodded. "Yeah, Victoria decided to take a sick-day today. And since I cannot leave the counter empty, Bella's getting some meds for me from the medicine closet." I thanked her and started towards the medicine closet in search of my wife.

**-OTC-**

I slowly opened the closet door before stepping inside and closing it behind me. And then I turned to find my Bella—standing with her back towards me and bending over the lower medicine stacks.

A goofy smile grew on my lips as I noiselessly approached her and carefully moved her ponytail slightly to the side. Then I leaned down and brushed my lips to the nape of her neck.

Bella gasped before leaning back into my touch. I smiled against her skin and moved my kisses to the joint of her neck and shoulder. She tilted her head to the side and said in an almost breathy whisper, "Edward, what are you doing? Hmm, that feels really good."

A chuckle escaped my mouth at her obvious dilemma—it looked like she wanted me to carry on but was still not dazzled enough to forget that we were at work.

I encircled her waist with my arms and in a swift movement, made her stand up. I turned her to face me and then crushed my lips against hers. Bella let out a low laughter and because I am an egotist fucker, I felt the need to show her that I meant business.

I licked her lips once… twice… and then took her bottom lip in between mine and softly nibbled on it before sucking it into my mouth. _That_ finally seemed to succeed to make her forget our whereabouts—momentarily—and she slipped one hand in my hair while inching the other hand up to rest against my chest.

I swear my heart started beating faster the moment she laid her hand over it. Bella must have felt it as well because when we separated, feeling the need for air, she grabbed my right hand which was slowly rubbing the skin of her lower back under her scrub top. She smiled shyly at me and then put my hand right above her chest and blushed. "My heart's beating like crazy too."

A sudden flutter of happiness and joy seemed to lighten up my whole being._ Wow! Cullen, could you sound anymore whipped?_ I quickly stopped the cheesy line I wanted to blurt out to her because when your subconscious thinks you are too whipped, that means you _are_ too fucking whipped.

Instead, I rained small kisses on her heated cheeks and pressed myself against her—just to let her know what she was doing to me—before angling my hips, so that I wouldn't keep poking her with my all too enthusiastic soldier.

Bella whimpered softly then poked her tongue out at me saying, "It's not nice to tease, you know? Especially when it's gonna be so many hours before we can go home."

I smirked at her and said cheekily, "Baby, foreplay heightens the actual moment. You should know that by now."

She blushed again and slapped her hand lightly against my chest to tell me to cut it out. I simply took her hand in mine and placed a kiss on her palm.

Then I remembered the reason I had been looking for Bella in the first place. "Did you check the notice board today?"

When she shook her head, looking confused, I elaborated. "The roaster for the holidays is out. We both have double shifts on Christmas day."

She sighed, apparently already having anticipated something like that happening. "I guessed it already. Being the newbie sucks. Anyway, so we're not going to Forks this year?"

I noticed how she didn't call Forks _home_ anymore. In fact, now that I think about it, she had been calling our place _home_ for some time now. _Dare I hope this means she trusts where we're going?_

Shaking off my train of thought for the moment, I answered her question, "According to the roaster, we have shifts from 25th night to 26th afternoon. If you want, we can attend the hospital Christmas party on 26th night and then leave for Forks on 28th? We have vacation up to the 2nd of January, next year."

She grimaced and then asked, "I don't mind having our private Christmas this year, but the party…? You really want to attend a work party?"

I quickly replied, trying to ease her mind. "Bella I know how much you hate parties and such and I know you'd much rather curl up with a book in the library than dress up for a party. This was merely a suggestion. I wanted to parade through our co-workers and show you off as my date."

She seemed to think for a moment and then nodded. "Well then, Dr. Cullen, I want to be able to stake a claim to the name of '_Vampire Girl_'. So for you, I will attend the stupid party. But on one condition."

I arched an eyebrow, silently asking her about the condition when she giggled. "I get to curl up with _you_ when we get home after the party."

I grinned crookedly at her before saying, "You got yourself a deal, Bellarina."

She started to smile at me before frowning. "We have to let our families know. Maybe we should call them separately this time so that they don't think we're trying to avoid them."

I scowled. "I thought it was all settled—water under the bridge and all that?"

She laid one hand on my cheek and said softly, "It is. Everything's cleared up. Don't start getting that temper on. I just…"

I silenced her by placing a finger on her lips. "You don't need to justify your thoughts to me, baby. Alright, I'll call up my mom and let her know to expect us for the New Year's Eve instead of Christmas."

She nodded and then rose up on her tip-toes and kissed me chastely. "Thank you for trusting me."

I smiled at her. Then kissing her hard once again, I left her in that closet with a silent promise to continue with our… _activities_… when we got home.

**BPOV**

When the door closed behind him, I leaned back against a medicine cabinet and tried to bring my breathing under control. I touched my fingers to my lips and smiled. Edward could make me feel breathless with just a kiss. "_I think I really am getting addicted to his kisses,"_ I mentally sighed, thinking about the kiss he gave me before leaving.

After my brain came out of its Edward-induced haze (not an easy feat I assure you), I remembered the plan to call my parents. I started scrolling through my phone's contact list.

Dad… _no, he's too perceptive sometimes. He'll figure out that I really wanted to be alone with Edward for Christmas._ Though there was nothing wrong with wanting to spend time with my husband but telling my father about it? I knew it would get awkward for both me and dad.

_So, mom it is._

My mom picked up the phone after the fifth ring when I was preparing to leave a message. "_Bella, honey, how are you?_" she panted.

I asked slowly, not sure if I wanted to know what the matter was, "Mom, what happened? Why are you out of breath?"

"_It's nothing, Bella. I was… uh… trying to cook a Mexican dish and kind of burnt it all up. And then when I started to throw water in it to put the fire out, your father's uniform—which I was going to put in the washing machine—kind of got lit up as well. Then the phone started ringing and I sort of panicked. Charlie's shirt and the cooking pan are now in the kitchen sink… under running water_," she explained, sounding sheepish.

Trying to make sure she was fine, I asked anxiously, "Mom, you _are_ okay though, aren't you?"

Her worry evaporated and she replied in a very off-hand tone, "_Of course, I am fine, Bella. Though I cannot say the same for your dad's shirt… you think he'll notice if I add a patch in the place of his pocket and say it's a new style?_"

I tried to rein it in but a snort left my pursed lips and then I was full-on laughing. Finally, after minutes, when I could control myself, I said, "Mom, I swear; only you can think of something like that."

I could feel the pout in her voice as she said, "_Oh hush, don't start saying stuff like your father. Now tell me how are you?_"

I cleared my throat, knowing I had to tell her that for the first time in my life I wasn't going to spend Christmas with her. I took a deep breath and answered her, "I am fine, Mom. I just need to tell you something."

When she didn't say anything, I plowed on, "Mom, Edward and I have been put on Christmas duty. So we won't be able to come over for Christmas this year."

She was silent for a moment and then I could hear the panic in her voice as she asked, "_Honey, are you _that_ mad at us? I know we should have told you about the reason for the wedding and you have every right to be mad at us for dictating your life. But please don't cut us out of your life for this. We love you, baby-girl._"

I felt tears sting my eyes and rubbed my hand against them, trying to keep myself from crying. In a hoarse voice, I tried to sooth her worries. "Mom, no! It's not that. Honestly, since we got time off for Thanksgiving, we have been put on roaster for Christmas. Edward said we can go to Forks on 28th. We have vacation time till the New Year. We will ring in the New Year together. Okay, Mom?"

When she simply gave a sniffle and a soft '_okay_' to my words, I continued, "Mom, I _was_ mad at you—for not telling me everything and for not trusting me to be mature enough to handle it all. But I can never be mad at you for bringing Edward in my life, Mom. Maybe we would have met at work if you guys hadn't gotten us married first. Maybe we would have dated like regular couples. Maybe I would have been the one who could've introduced him to you guys as my boyfriend. Maybe we would have gotten married some day because we fell in love with each other."

I stopped to take a breath, and she sniffled again and whispered, "_That sounds really romantic. What you just said._"

I shook my head before realizing she couldn't see me and said, "I wasn't finished, Mom. Yeah, we could've had the perfect romance and everything else or we couldn't have given two shits about each other. Who knows what could have happened? We cannot live our lives based on a bunch of maybes. So as much as I would have loved to have the chance to get to know him before marrying him, I am grateful to you and dad for bringing us together."

A soft laughter came from the other end, letting me know my mother was done being overly-emotional. Then she said, "_Thank you, Baby-girl. I have been going crazy with guilt for the past few days. I needed to hear that."_

I laughed lightly and asked, "Now do you believe we really have to work on Christmas?"

"_Yes, honey. I am going to miss you on Christmas though. Who's gonna keep me sane while your dad's gonna be glued to the sports channel all day?_" she replied, trying to lighten up the mood.

I chuckled. "Good luck with that!" After a beat, I added more seriously, "I will miss you too Mom—both you and dad."

She sighed. "_I should probably let you go… you're at work, aren't you?_"

I nodded and replied, "Yeah. I should go and show Rose my face or she's gonna think I skipped out on helping her. I love you, Mom. We'll talk again soon, okay?"

After hanging up, I smiled to myself. Everything in my life was falling into place. With a smile on my face, I got the basket of medicines Rose asked for and headed out of the closet.

**-OTC-**

By the time my shift ended, I was feeling steam-rolled between doing my own work along with helping Rose out whenever I could. So when Rose texted me, asking if I wanted to get a beer with her, I agreed.

I was about to text Edward to let him know I'll be with Rosalie for a while, when my phone beeped with an incoming text—from him.

_Baby, Em's here to pick Rosalie up. He wants to get a drink with me. You want to join us? We're going to a new bar two blocks down, Night-fury. ~~~Edward~~~_

Immediately, I knew it was Rose's plan to get Emmett to keep Edward busy, so that we could get a little time for girl talk.

_The girl always knows just what I need._ Grinning that I would get to spend some time with my best friend, I replied to Edward's text.

_Sounds good, Baby. Why don't you and Em go ahead and Rose and I will join you shortly? ~~~Bella~~~_

His reply came quickly.

_Alright Bellarina, I will see you soon. ~~~Smirky~~~_

I was still laughing at his use of name when Rose found me at the deserted changing room.

"Do I want to know what's got you laughing like that or should I just assume it has something to do with a guy you met in a bar?" she asked, arching one of her perfect eyebrows.

I rolled my eyes at her and replied, "Your assumption is correct; just like my assumption that Emmett is here to distract the said guy so that we can have a little girl-time. Am I right or am I right?"

Rose laughed and held out her hand in surrender. "Guilty as charged, Swan. Now you ready to go meet up with our guys?"

I nodded and snaking my arm through hers, I led her to walk out of the hospital and started towards the bar.

As we walked Rose elbowed me. "Are you going to attend the hospital Christmas party? I have a double shift on 24th, but starting from 25th noon, I am free to start my holidays."

I bit my lip and said softly, "I think so. Edward and I have to work till 26th morning and he wants to attend the party that night…"

Rose halted on the front step of the bar and asked me, "What about you, B? Do you want to attend the party as well?"

I sighed, already knowing this was coming. "I just want to spend time with him. There's so much we have to know about each other. And I also kind of want to attend the party… as his date."

Finally, a smile graced her lips. "I understand, B," she said, "Emmett wants to go to Forks for Christmas though. So I don't think I'll be able to be at the party but maybe I'll see you when you get home? You are going home for the holidays, right?"

I could hear the uncertainty in her voice and I hated it. "_Since when have we become so distant so as not to know every minute detail of each other's life?_" I asked myself, hating the way we were allowing our friendship to be affected by our love lives.

Slowly I nodded. "Yeah, Rose, we'll definitely go to Forks for the holidays. Maybe we'll get to hang out for New Years?"

Satisfied with my answer, Rosalie pulled open the door and led me inside. Letting the warmth of indoors take away the chill from outside, I craned my neck looking for my man. I found him laughing at something Emmett had said while thumping Jasper in the back. He looked so happy that I couldn't help but sigh.

A snicker brought me out of my Edward-induced haze. See what I meant by being addicted to him? _Apparently being addicted to his kisses wasn't enough; I had to be addicted to his mere presence._

"Alright, lover-girl, before you decide to go and dry hump him in the middle of the crowed bar, let's go and get you a beer," Rose said in her best sardonic tone.

Usually, I would've snarked back at her but the words '_dry hump'_ brought back memories from that morning and I blushed—fiercely.

Of course being the observant bitch she was, Rose had to notice. She quickly grasped my arm to stop me from walking away and whispered-yelled, "Wait, you didn't snap back at me with some smart-ass remark. No, you blushed. Isabella Marie Swan, you slept with him, didn't you?"

Because I am the stupidest girl on the face of earth who couldn't lie to save her life, I bit my lip and nodded. As I saw her eyes widen I quickly put my hand on her mouth to stop the scream I knew was about to burst out of her mouth.

Then I hissed in her ear, "Don't you yell, Blondie. We are supposed to talk and if you yell, they'll find us and we won't get to discuss the boys."

My warning had the desired effect, and after she nodded in acquiesce, I removed my hand and started towards the bar. Not wanting to get drunk, I asked the bartender for a beer instead of my usual preference of Gin and Tonic.

Armed with liquor, I turned to face Rosalie. She finally gave up and let out the tiny shriek she had been holding in. "You did the deed and didn't even tell _me_—you best friend?"

I took a sip of my beer before replying, "I seem to recall you once saying that you wouldn't mind if I had sex with him and not tell you, if I was happy. Besides, I didn't have enough free time to tell you before now."

She thought for a moment then said, "Dang it! I did say that shit! Well then tell me this—are you happy, B? Really and truly happy?"

I felt my lips turn up in a smile as I nodded. "Yeah, Rose. I am really and truly happy. I know our relationship didn't have a conventional start, but I am glad I have him in my life. _He_ makes me happy."

A slow smile came on to her face as she said, "I can see that. So tell me, was he good? Did he take good care of you?"

I giggled at her questions, as if we were two high school girls gossiping about my new boyfriend. I stole a glance at their table and saw Edward check his watch and then smile at something Jasper said. My heart started beating like crazy at that smile and I smiled as I turned back to Rosalie.

"Rose, he was so sweet the first time. He was so tender and caring and just…" I trailed off, not finding the right word to describe the amazing person that was my husband.

Rose patted my shoulder and said softly, "I get it, B. It was the same for me when Em and I got together at first." Looking at the muscled guy she loved, Rose whispered her next words, "He asked me to move in with him, you know?"

I almost spat out my mouthful of drink and sputtered out, "When did _that_ happen? You're coming to live across the hall from me? That'd be great, Rose."

Rose looked down at her fingers tapping against the counter and replied, "He's been asking for about a month really. I just haven't decided if I want to move that quickly. I don't know what's going on with Alice and Jazz. I cannot leave my little brother to fend for himself."

I shook my head at her over-thinking. "I thought I was the chicken? Rose, Jazz is a big boy, despite what you think. And I talked to Allie a few days back she said she has wanted to ask Jazz to move in with her for a while. So I think he'll be fine. Besides, you love Em, Rose and he clearly loves you. So I don't think anything bad is gonna happen if you move in with him."

She quirked her eyebrow and asked, "Jazz is about to settle down, huh? Who would've thought—my dork of a brother and Alice?"

I laughed at that, because frankly, Jasper and Alice couldn't be more different from each other and yet they completed each other just the same. My phone buzzed, letting me know I had a missed call from Edward. I pointed towards their booth and asked, "They're waiting for us. Shall we go and join our men?"

Nodding, Rose took hold of my hand and started moving towards the booth. Just before reaching there, she leaned down and said loudly in my ear, "Thanks, B. I needed the talk. Maybe soon, I'll tell him yes." I gave her thumbs up and moved to join the guys.

**-OTC-**

As I slid inside the booth beside Edward, he smiled at me before frowning at the half-finished beer in my hands. I gave him a questioning look and he smirked. "I was kind of hoping to buy you a drink… a Gin and Tonic, perhaps?"

I rolled my eyes at him. "You want me to start throwing drinks on you?"

He shrugged. "I don't mind. Because this time, I can take you home with me and make you pay for that." The innuendo was clear in his voice.

I felt my cheeks heating up and tried to cling on to some control. "Or maybe you just want to get me drunk."

He gave me a cheeky smile. "That's not a bad idea either. You know that night at the club? I was trying to make you metabolize the alcohol faster by dancing. Maybe tonight, I will do something else to get your blood pumping."

_Oh God! Is it getting too hot in here… in December?_

I gulped down the remainder of my drink and took his hand. "Come on, let's dance. You didn't let us finish our dance that night. So you owe me a dance, Cullen."

Grinning at my abrupt subject change, he stood up and then led me towards the dance floor. The upbeat music changed right that moment and a soft music started playing. Edward loosely held on to my waist, trying to be all gentleman-like. I huffed and took his hands to wrap them tightly around my waist. Then I slipped both of my hands around his neck and pressed myself against his body.

A soft smile lit up his face as he held me close to him and started to sway us from side to side. Sighing contentedly, I rested my head against his chest and closed my eyes thinking back to the first time I had laid eyes on this man.

I remembered the intense look in his eyes when our eyes met for the first time across the bar. He was so sexy that I had developed a crush on him at first sight—until he opened his mouth that is.

I remembered the way he had acted after I had poured my drink on him. Knowing his reasoning for his behavior didn't make me think of him as a Rude Adonis anymore. No, he was the sweetest man in the world—trying to be devoted to the stranger he was promised to.

A smile crept up on my face as I remembered how happy he looked at our wedding and the memory of our first kiss still made me want to kiss him silly. I would never forget the bright smile on his face when he said '_I do_' that day.

The memories of our first grocery trip, first day at work, our insane fights, our friendship, our first date, my birthday, the beautiful swan pendant on my neck, the way he had held on to me on Thanksgiving, our first night as a married couple, the way he had showered me in the morning… all of it came crushing down on my mind, making me gasp loudly.

As I opened my eyes, I met Edward's worried eyes. He held me close and asked softly, "You okay, baby? Why did you get so tensed up?"

I smiled weakly at him, trying to hide the realization that had dawned on me, "I am okay, Edward. I just had a very tiring day at work." He kissed my forehead and held my head against his chest—no doubt wishing he could take away the exhaustion.

I felt tears prickle the back of my eyes as my whole world shifted in that moment. Because looking back to all the moments I had spent in the presence of this man, I was certain about three things.

First, Edward was the most beautiful, sweet, tender, loving, amazing and perfect man for me.

Second, I- Isabella Cullen had fallen in love. Yes, I was desperately in love with my husband.

And third, the saying that love hits you with the force of a brick wall all of a sudden—was a lie. Because let me tell you ladies and gentleman, the realization that I was in love with Edward was so powerful that I was sure it had to be a fucking Titanium wall—at the very least!

After the song was over, Edward led me back to our friends, and with a flurry of goodbyes, we came out of the bar before climbing into his car and going home.

I knew it was too early to tell him I was in love with him._ Don't want him thinking I am insane for falling in love after knowing him for only four months!_ So instead of telling him, I showed him by making his favorite M&C for dinner and then in bed.

I finally had my answer to the question I had asked Angela. Love was different for everyone, and for me, love was the blissful happiness and utter contentment I found in the arms of my man—my Edward.

**A/N: A long-ass chapter to as a peace offering for not updating last Tuesday.**

**And yes, I watched How to Train Your Dragon a few days before I started on the chapter. So Night-fury was all my brain was coming up with. :P**

**So what do you think?**

**Let me know your thoughts and leave a review, please.**

**Songs I listened to while writing this chapter: Finally Found You—Enrique Iglesias and Catch Me—Demi Lovato (Not a fan of her. But the lyrics pretty much sums up Bella's feelings throughout the story, so try it).**

**Take care.**

**Ann**


	40. Chapter-40: Fucking Dogs and Fake Talons

**Disclaimer: No copyrights infringement intended. I don't own Twilight saga or any of its awesome characters.**

**A/N: Thanks to everyone who has reviewed, favorited, put on alert or simply... read OTC. You guys make my days a little bit brighter. Thank you.**

**Enjoy Chapter-40 and I'll see you at the end of this chapter! :-)**

**Chapter-40: Fucking Dogs and Fake Talons**

**BPOV**

The days following my realization, I couldn't help but fall more in love with Edward every damn day. I know it sounds corny, but it was the truth. He made it too easy to love him.

We had decided that since we'll be working on both 24th and 25th of December, we'd celebrate Christmas on 27th. I hadn't been hoping for a big Christmas, honestly. I would have been contented to spend the whole day in the arms of my man to celebrate the day. But of course, Edward had other plans.

On the 22nd, he almost begged me to go out with him after we were done with our shifts at the hospital. I wanted to decline and say that I was too fucking tired to move my ass in gear. But one look at those emerald green eyes, and I was a goner.

_"__Yeah like you are not a goner when you see that crooked smile, or hear that smooth voice or even when you see that damn smirk. Admit it, Bella, that man is all you can think about now."_ I stuck my tongue out at my bitchy subconscious. Because, damn it! The bitch was right. I was completely smitten with my husband.

Anyway, back to the 22nd, after I had acquiesced, Edward took me to a tree lot and together, we picked out the perfect Christmas tree for our home. How can you not love a man who knows how important Christmas tree is for Christmas?

As if that wasn't enough; when the next day I had returned home after a sudden quickie shopping trip with Rose to pick up Edward's present, the tree was full of twinkling fairy lights—courtesy of my sweet and amazing husband._ Did I mention that I love him?_

After I had gotten over the shock of seeing the lit up tree, I had thrown my arms around the handsome man standing beside the said tree, with that sexy smile playing on his lips. And of course, I kissed him silly for giving me such an amazing surprise.

When I had ghosted my lips against his and whispered, "You are too sweet sometimes, you know that? I might get diabetes with all this sweetness."

Because he was letting me see his inner pervert now, he nudged my nose with his and then whispered back, "How about I help you work off some of the extra calories? I bet I can get your blood pumping and help the insulin do its work." Well who the fuck I was to deny such an honest reasoning. So I let him do exactly that. _Oh yeah, I love is inner pervert as well._

**-OTC-**

I closed my eyes and groaned as I opened my closet. It was the 26th of December, the day after Christmas. Edward and I had returned from our extremely long shifts about an hour ago. Then because we were so concerned about water wastage, we took a shower—together.

Now, I was back in my room and fighting the urge to cry out at the thought of dressing up and go back to the hospital—for the party.

_"__Why couldn't it be a casual work party? No, it had to be a black-tie event. God! Why the fuck did I agree to attend the fucking thing in the first place? Oh, yeah, because I am a sucker for the Edward-pout."_ I mentally whined, before reaching out to grab the dress I had kept aside for the party.

I quickly put on the emerald-green halter-neck dress and then proceeded to do my hair and makeup. Just as I was putting on my swan pendant, there was a knock on the door, followed by the peeking head of my husband.

"You ready, baby? We need to leave…" his words trailed off as he took in my appearance.

Feeling self-conscious, I smoothed down my hands against my dress and bit my lip. "You don't like it?" I asked timidly.

When he shook his head, I groaned. "I knew I should've picked a red dress… I just…"

Before my mind could register what was happening, Edward had crossed the room, taken me in his arms and was now kissing me, efficiently shutting me up.

When he finally let go of my lips to take a breath, he moved his lips to the side—kissing my cheek—and then nibbling on my earlobe. Then he whispered, "I don't like it. I love it. I love anything you wear, Bellarina."

I was about to thank him for the compliment when he continued, "I especially love it when you don't wear _anything_ even more though."

A giggle escaped my lips and I lightly slapped his chest. "You are such a horn-ball!"

He smirked at me. "Only for you, baby."

I shook my head at his cheesiness and said, "Well, you look very handsome yourself, Dr. Cullen."

He laughed and then held out the coat I had set down to wear for me to slip on. As I slipped my arms through the sleeves, he enclosed me in his arms and brought my back flush with his front, letting me feel all of him.

A startled gasp left my mouth, and he chuckled. "Do you feel how much I love the dress on you, Mrs. Cullen?"

I nodded, not trusting my voice enough to not to beg him to ditch the party and show me exactly what he felt. He kissed the spot just beneath my ear and whispered, "I hope to demonstrate that in detail… when we get back."

_How the fuck he knows what I am thinking about?_ With a shaky voice, I replied, "I am gonna hold you to that."

He laughed at my reply and after a short but breathtaking kiss, he led me out of the house.

**EPOV**

All the way to the hospital, I held on to Bella's hand. I couldn't find the words to describe just how enchantingly beautiful she looked when I came to get her. Her adorable rambling when she thought I didn't like the dress, made me chuckle. Because the idea of my not appreciating her beauty, was simply preposterous.

When we reached the hospital, I parked the car, and went to open Bella's door for her. She had gotten used to my behavior in these past few months because she waited for me to come get her instead of trying to open the door herself.

As we entered the hospital auditorium—which had been decorated for the party—with Bella holding on to my arm, we were greeted by the chief. "Merry Christmas, Cullen. Who's the pretty lady you have with you there?"

His tone was joking and of course Bella blushed at the question. She offered him a timid smile. "Merry Christmas, Dr. Farrell." Then she turned to me and said in a low voice, "I'm gonna go and say _hi_ to Angela, okay?"

I nodded and winked at her. With a shy smile at me, she removed her hand from my arm, gave the chief a nod and started to make her way toward Angela.

I must have stared at her back for longer than I thought, because a light pat on my shoulder brought me back to the present. The chief laughed at my preoccupation. "So, you and Swan, huh?"

I felt the top of my ears heat up, and replied dryly, "Yeah, Chief, it would seem so."

He laughed again. "Well, I am glad to see you two decided to be… friends."

It was clear that he was teasing but all I could think was, "_You have no idea how _friendly_ we are, Chief._"

As another flock of guests arrived, I excused myself and left the chief to welcome them. I headed toward the open bar at the far end of the room.

I ordered a gin and tonic and leaned against the bar, searching for my date among the crowd. I was debating whether I should get her a drink as well, when a large hand slammed on the bar beside me.

I looked up to see a dark-skinned, dark-haired, tall and quite beefy guy, standing beside me. He must've sensed my presence because he turned to smile at me in an overly friendly way. "Hey, man, sorry if I startled you. I was just trying to get the bartender's attention."

I offered him a nonchalant smile. "It's fine. I just hadn't seen you approach the bar, that's all." Then because I hadn't seen him at the hospital before, I asked, "Which department are you in? Sorry but I can't seem to remember seeing you here before."

He let out a bark of laughter. "I am not a member of the staff. I am here as a guest, well, as the date of a guest. What about you?"

I shrugged. "I am a resident neurologist here."

His eyebrows scrunched up before he murmured, "You work in the neuro medicine? Interesting…"

I was still trying to make sense of his words when he abruptly held out his hand to me. "I am Jacob Black. And you are?"

The name sounded familiar and as I raked my brain for the name, I automatically shook his hand. "I'm Dr. Edward Cullen."

He looked at me in surprise before looking me up and down, from head to toe. A malicious sneer formed on his mouth. "Really? _You_ are Cullen? This just got even more interesting. It was _very_ nice to meet you, _Dr. Cullen_."

I was flabbergasted at his sudden change in attitude but before I could ask him to explain his behavior, he grabbed the bourbon the bartender had place on the bar and walked away from the bar.

"_What the fuck was that about? Where have I heard that name before? Jacob Black… Jacob Black… Ja—_" my mind finally registered where I had heard that name before. "_That's the fucktard that had dared to kiss my Bella. He was the fucker who had made her feel betrayed._"

As soon as I realized who he was, I quickly turned to look at my wife. She was laughing with Angela and Ben Cheney. _Good, I don't want her to be distressed over the knowledge that the _dog_ is here._

I quickly finished off my drink and then pushed away from the bar. I needed to find that fucker before he did something to upset my Bella. It was our first Christmas together and I'll be damned if I let that fucking dog to make a scene here. With my mind set, I started scanning the crowd for the outline of the mutt.

**BPOV**

When I reached Angela, she offered me a hug and then asked softly so that no one could overhear us, "Did you come here with Dr. Cullen? As his date?"

I smiled at her attempt to subdue her interest and nodded. "Yeah. He sort of asked me and I said yes."

I wasn't totally lying but, I so wanted to tell her that I also loved the man and he was more than my date, he was my husband. But I couldn't do that, not yet. And it was not because I was afraid to announce our relationship to everyone.

No, it was because the first person I was going to tell about my feelings was Edward and the decision to keep our marriage to ourselves came from both of us. So I would have to discuss it with him before I could shout out to the whole fucking world that he was mine.

Angela seemed to be satisfied with my answer because she started talking about the bane of our team—the bitchy duo. "You two look good as a couple. I wish Lauren and Jessica could see you guys together. It would've stopped them from shoving their boobs into his face."

I rolled my eyes at the mental picture and then frowned. "Why aren't they here?"

Don't think for a moment I was suddenly missing their boob-show. Nope, I was kind of hoping to give them a chance to know who the '_vampire-girl_' really was. "_Oh yeah, you are such an imparter of knowledge, aren't you?"_ my inner-bitch snickered.

I shushed her up and concentrated on what Angela was saying. "… they got put on duty with Dr. Wood tonight. Thank God, we didn't have to deal with them during last night's shift. Can you imagine how tedious it would have been to be around them for that long?"

I laughed and joked. "C'mon, Ang, I know you missed getting a free show last night."

"Yeah, just like you did, Swan." She snorted back.

Soon we were joined by Ben, and Angela thrust a glass of spiked fruit punch in my hand. I slowly sipped the overly fruity drink and looked around, trying to locate Edward when I saw Mr. Montgomery wave at me.

I tapped Angela on the shoulder and said, "Ang, I'll be back. The boss-man's flagging me down."

She nodded at me before diving back to her discussion with Ben over the best Wii game.

**-OTC-**

When I reached Mr. Montgomery, he smiled at me. "Merry Christmas, Isabella. I hope you are enjoying yourself?"

I smiled back at him and replied, "Merry Christmas to you too, sir. I am actually. It's a nice party."

"Good, good. I hope I am not keeping you from your date?" he asked in a hesitant tone.

I quickly shook my head. "Not at all, sir. I was just talking to Nurse Angela." Then sensing his agitation, I asked him, "Sir, are you all right?"

He started to nod but then stopped and shrugged. "No, not really. Isabella, I have a favor to ask of you."

_Okay._ I furrowed my brows and asked cautiously, "What is it, sir?"

He let out a ragged breath. "My daughter is here to spend the Christmas with me. She is a few years older than you but I think you would be a proper company for her. It's just… she brought a date here and now she cannot find him. And I haven't seen her in the last few years. She stays with her mother, you see. I don't know what to talk to her about. Will you try to keep her company for a while?"

I looked around, searching for Edward. I found him chatting with Dr. Volturi and Dr. Ellis. He caught my eye and smiled at me. An involuntary smile came to my lips as I turned back to my boss. "Sure, sir. It will be my pleasure to meet your daughter."

Looking relieved, Mr. Montgomery waved toward the table laden with food and led me toward a woman with strawberry-blond hair.

"Tanya, dear…"

Mr. Montgomery's words were interrupted by the whiny voice of the woman who could only be his daughter. "Daddy, I don't like your party. Can we go somewhere else, please? Jakey must have been bored to death to leave this _party_."

I mentally rolled my eyes. _What a spoilt-ass bitch. Maybe 'Jakey' left because he's not that into you?_ I was seriously regretting my promise to hang out with her. But because I had a shitty luck, before I could hightail out of there, Mr. Montgomery placed a hand on his daughter's back, making her to turn and face us. "Tanya, dear, I would like you to meet one of my best pharmacists Isabella."

She looked at me with very poorly-concealed disinterest and held out her hand. "Hello, Isabella." Because I was a total teacher's pet and because Eleazar Montgomery was a good man, I shook her hand and offered her a polite smile.

I was trying to find a way to get out of the vicinity of the bratty woman when she opened her mouth. "I am perched. Can you suggest a good drink to go with the theme? Usually I would drink cocktails but I am not sure how good your American parties serve them."

I snapped my head back to her from rolling my eyes at Angela. "Wait, you're not an American?"

She let out a very sweet and very fake laugh. "Oh no, sweetie, my dad is American but my mamma is Russian. I grew up in England."

I nodded absently, trying to make sense of the sudden uneasy feeling in the back of my mind.

As I led her toward the bar, we were stopped by none other than Victoria. "Isabella, how are you doing, Chica? Where's Rosalie? I have been looking _everywhere_ for her."

I internally groaned, because Rose had managed to weasel out of hearing about Vicky's shenanigans for the night. Then because I was feeling _extremely sociable_, I decided to introduce Victoria to Tanya.

"Hello, Victoria. Rose has gone home for Christmas. However, we have Tanya here with us tonight. This is Tanya Montgomery, Mr. Montgomery's daughter…" I was stopped by the claw-like grip Tanya suddenly landed on my hand.

"No, no, Isabella, I don't use my father's name. I use my mamma's," she said, before turning her blue-eyed stare toward Victoria. "Tanya Denali. And you are?"

Victoria must have said something in reply. Then Tanya must have excused us to continue our way to the bar. I say must have because I have to recollection of either of those things happening. One minute, I was standing there talking to them and the next, I was with Tanya sitting on a bar stool.

Why is that you ask? Because I knew that name. Tanya Denali—the woman who cheated on my Edward, the woman who tried to slander his name by passing off someone else's kid as his, the woman who was now sitting beside me.

_This is the bitch that made Edward question himself, she called him stupid! _No one_ gets to call my man stupid, certainly not a spoilt-brat like Tanya Denali!_ My thoughts were running wild and I was truly wishing I could get my hands on one of dad's guns.

Tanya, however, didn't seem to notice the death-glares I was shooting in her direction and was happily sipping the fluorescent pink cocktail the bartender had handed her. Pretending not to even notice her presence, I asked the bartender for a beer.

Tanya scrunched her nose up at my drink choice. "You are going to drink _that_? That is something _boys_ drink."

I tried to rein in my temper and said with a sassy smile, "Or it is something that only _girly girls_ don't drink." Maybe she was more hard-headed than I thought because she didn't catch on to my bitchiness. Instead, she started to tell me all about her boyfriend—who she was sure was going to pop the question any day now.

She kept up blathering about 'Jakey this, Jakey that' and all I could hear was 'blah… blah… blah…'

From what little I could understand, she had met _Jakey_ when she was in high school. She was in the US for summer vacation with her father and met the guy at some beach. Though after that one summer they hadn't seen each other for a long time, she always thought of him as her first love. And then this year she had found him again when she had gone to visit that beach. It would have been a very sweet story if the guy, Jakey, hadn't dumped her ass here and ran away. And there was also the minor fact that he probably was the fucker that impregnated her and left her to put the blame on my Edward.

Hearing how the guy was clearly using her and how she was so clueless about it, I was going to feel sorry for her. But then she let out a soft hiss and clasped my hand. I could feel pain as her talon-like fake nails cut off my blood supply.

I was about to ask her what the fuck her problem was, when she opened her mouth. "Oh. My. Gawd! What is _he_ doing here?" Her face was a mask of horror as she stared open-mouthed across the hall.

I followed her line of vision and found my husband walking toward where we were sitting. His handsome face stretched in a smile and his eyes twinkling with their beautiful shade of green.

For a moment, just a moment, I felt doubt and uncertainty cloud my thoughts. Because I was sitting right beside Tanya Denali, the first woman he had kissed. The woman who even in all her bitchiness, was very pretty, with her strawberry-blond hair, tall-figure and short cherry-red dress.

But then my rational mind spoke up, diminishing all the insecurities from my heart. "_That bitch is in his past, Bella. The way he looks at you, the way he says your name, the way he kisses you all point to one thing, Bella—the only woman he cares about is you. Look how he's smiling right now—at you. Don't let the bratty bitch question your relationship with Edward._"

I felt my breath returning to normal from the verge of hyperventilation and I looked at Tanya from the corner of my eye and said in a nonchalant voice, "That is Dr. Edward Cullen. He's one of the best doctors in this hospital."

She let out a high-pitched laughter with really made me question her sanity. "He—a doctor? He is just a stupid boy who used to follow me around like a lost puppy."

As soon as the words left her mouth I honestly saw red. I wanted to choke her, throttle her, run her over with my truck and maybe even shoot her head off—all at the same time. _How dare she speak that way about my man?_

Still oblivious to my fierce look, she started raking her hand through her hair and then stretched her dress down to expose more of her cleavage. "He must have seen me from across the room. Now I have to put up with his school boy crush again." Her fake sigh made me almost reach over and yank her hair out of its artful knot.

But before I could do that, I heard the beautiful voice of my husband. "Hey, baby, you want to dance?"

In unison, both Tanya and I turned our faces to look at the man standing before us. _God help me! I don't want to murder a bitch tonight._

**EPOV**

As soon as Bella's eyes met mine, I knew something was wrong. I didn't even think that we were in a public place, surrounded by our coworkers, before reaching out to cup her cheek in my hand. "Baby, what's wrong? Are you not feeling well? Are you mad at me? What is it, love? Tell me."

My frantic questions made her smile softly at me. She brought one hand up to hold my hand to her cheek and then whispered, "I'm fine, Edward. Everything is fine. And I would love to dance with you."

She moved her head to the side and kissed my palm before getting up from her seat. She placed her beer on the bar and held out her hand. Because I was feeling like a cheesy ass fucker, I took her hand and then kissed her knuckles softly before smiling at her blushing cheeks and leading her to the dance floor.

Because the party was being held inside the hospital, the music was kept to soft and soothing, even though the hall was practically soundproof. As I anchored my hands on her delicate waist, Bella locked her arms around my neck. We started moving slowly and I decided to tell her about Black.

"Bella, baby, I need to tell you something," I started. She looked curiously at me and I looked down, not wanting to see the disappointment in her eyes.

"I think Jacob Black was here. I saw him by the bar earlier." Her eyes widened as she moved closer to me. I sighed, not wanting to tell her the next part. "By the time I figured out who he was, he was gone. I tried to look for him but the fucker had vanished in thin air. I couldn't find him, Bella. That's what I had been doing—trying to find him before he could make a scene to make you feel uncomfortable."

Bella looked up at my face and smiled. "I don't want to see his face, Edward. But I don't want his treacherous ass anywhere near us as well. Don't think of him." I let out the breath that I didn't know I was holding and squeezed her hips lightly—silently thanking her.

Something over my shoulder caught her gaze and suddenly she looked nervous. I nudged her nose with mine and asked, "Hey, where did you go?"

Her eyes were full of trepidation as she bit her lip and then blurted it all out. "Tanya Denali is here. She's Eleazar's daughter. He asked me to keep her company and I figured out she's the bitch that cheated on you. I swear I was going to tear her a new one when you showed up."

"Shh. Breathe, baby." I tried to calm her down as my brain tried to process what she had just said. _Tanya Denali, my ex-girlfriend, was here—at my hospital, trying to make friends with my wife. Awesome._

Bella's breathing had come back to normal and she buried her face in my chest and mumbled, "She's the woman I was sitting with. I am so sorry that you had to see her." I kept my hold on Bella and turned my head to look at the woman sitting at the bar.

The strawberry-blond hair was same as it used to be when we were in school. Though I couldn't see her eyes, I knew they must still be cold as ice, like always. There was a look of shock and outrage in the set of her mouth as she stared wide-eyed at us. Her dress left very little to imagination.

I shook my head at her. _Some things never change_. I had harbored so much anger at her that I had been sure if I ever met her again I would have done my very best to get revenge. But now, as I looked at the woman who had made me feel stupid and worthless once, all I could feel was a detached sense of serenity. Because she was not a part of my life anymore. Because the woman in my arms had managed to take away all my anger and resentment, and fill me with nothing but adoration—for my Bella.

I turned my notice back to my wife and tilted her head to look into her eyes. "Baby, I honestly didn't even notice her until you told me about it. She's nothing compared to you. What I feel for you is so much more than what I could have ever felt for her. She's no one, Bella. You are the only one that matters to me, baby. Believe me."

A beautiful smile came onto her lips and she nodded. "I believe you, Edward."

I brushed a soft kiss to her temple and hugged her close to me. Sensing the song was about to end, I asked her, "Do you want to have something to eat or do you want to get out of here?"

She shook her head. "I'm not hungry. Let's go. I want to start our _own_ Christmas celebration." I gave her my signature smile in response, knowing I had promised to demonstrate how much I loved that dress on her.

I felt myself getting aroused at the thoughts of peeling that dress slowly from her body when she gripped my hand. "Edward, just a minute. I didn't get to finish my beer."

I looked at her incredulously. "You want to go back and finish your beer? _Now?_"

She giggled at my expression and nodded before pulling me behind her. She stopped right beside Tanya and gave her a bright smile. "Hey Tanya, I am about to take off. I thought I'd introduce you to my date before leaving."

Tanya's eyes were almost bugging out by now. But Bella pretended not to notice and leaned into me; she trailed one hand up my arm to thread it in my hair and then smiled, looking into my eyes.

With her eyes trained on mine, she spoke, her words directed toward Tanya. "Tanya, this is my man, Dr. Edward Cullen. He is the most amazing man in my world and I can't tell you how happy he makes me. So…" she turned her face to look directly at Tanya. "Thank you for not making his life miserable and for letting him go. Goodbye."

And then without allowing Tanya to say anything, she tugged me away from the venomous glare coming from my ex-girlfriend. As soon as we were out of hearing range, Bella bit her lip before peeking at me from underneath her eyelashes. "I'm sorry. You must think me petty but Edward, I couldn't let her keep spewing shit about you."

A startled laugh got out of my mouth before I started to chuckle._ How can she go from sexy angry tigress to the innocent and unsure kitten so fast?_ Unable to resist any longer, I reached out and took her in my arms. I nudged her chin with my knuckles to make her lift her face. She took a deep breath and looked into my eyes and then, I kissed her.

I poured all the admiration and affection I had in my heart for this wonderful woman in my kiss. She must have understood my feelings because she returned my kiss with equal amount of passion.

I softly bit the lip she had been biting all night, making her gasp and clasp onto my shoulders tighter. Just as I started to smile at her reaction to me, wolf-whistles popped our bubble and with great difficulty, I separated our mouths.

Peeking over Bella's shoulder, I saw Crowley and Marks whistling and giving us thumbs-ups while the rest of the room looked on–mouth agape at our very public display.

Bella groaned and buried her head to my chest. I could feel the heat radiating from her cheeks as I held her close to me. Finally I tuned out the rest of the room and concentrated on the beautiful woman in my arms. "Baby, do you want to leave?"

She nodded before meeting my eyes. "I need to be alone with you Edward. Please take me home." After placing a swift kiss on her lips, I led her out of the hall—toward our home.

I knew the next day when we come to work, we'd have to face questions but right now, I couldn't be bothered about anything. Right now, all I wanted was to take my girl home and celebrate Christmas with her.

**A/N: Sorry but I couldn't resist putting a bit more drama in the story. :D**

**So… thoughts? Share them with me and leave a review, please. :)**

**The songs I listened to while writing this chapter: Taken by One Direction and I Want My Tears Back by Nightwish.**

**Take care.**

**Ann**


	41. Chapter-41: Move Into My Heart

**Disclaimer: No copyrights infringement intended. I don't own Twilight saga or any of its awesome characters.**

**A/N: Thanks to everyone who has reviewed, favorited, put on alert or simply... read OTC. You guys make my days a little bit brighter. Thank you. Now, like my dear friend m0t0b33 said, I'm bringing you Christmas in July.**

**Enjoy Chapter-41 and I'll see you at the end of this chapter! :-)**

**Chapter- 41: Move Into My Heart**

**EPOV**

The second I closed the door behind me, I found myself pressed against the door while my wife kissed the hell out of me.

Feeling equally desperate to be with her, I grabbed her ass and then grinded myself against her. A whimper escaped her mouth as she felt how ready I was for her. She tugged on my hair and then moved to kiss my jaw. I closed my eyes and let the feelings wash over me.

Bella wrapped her legs around me and then started to tug on my tie. My eyes snapped open, only to meet the deep brown of hers.

Exercising utmost control, I moved my hand to hold her close to me and then breathlessly asked her, "Baby, don't you want to see your Christmas present?"

She continued kissing and sucking on my neck and whispered in my ear, "Later. Right now, all I want as my present is you. I don't need anything else if I have you, Edward."

The little control I had snapped as a surge of raw desire coursed through me at her words and I groaned. "Always, Bella. You'll always have me."

An extremely beautiful smile lit up her face, making me want to worship every single inch of her body. So I carried her up the stairs and did exactly that._ Merry Christmas to me, indeed!_

**BPOV**

As I slowly drifted out of sleep, I became aware of the arm draped loosely around my torso.

If it was a month ago, I would have jumped out of my skin at the feel of that arm, or the hand that was resting on my breast, or the head I could feel lying on the valley between my breasts.

But it was not a month ago, it was now, and I knew that arm, that possessive hand and the soft hair covering that beautiful head belonged to one person. _Edward._

A wide smile spread over my lips as I looked down at the sexy man that was my husband. He could be like an adorable little boy in one minute, an arrogant jerk in the next and a loving and tender man in the next one. And I loved each and every part of him—I just loved him, period.

The memory of the previous night rushed into my mind. I knew we were going to have to give an explanation to our coworkers but that didn't bother me one bit. I was feeling blissfully happy just remembering the way he had loved me last night. It felt more than just sex; he had made me feel truly and utterly _loved_.

I sighed happily before carefully moving his arm and slipping from underneath him. I wanted to take care of him, just like he did.

I wanted to tell him that I loved him, but I didn't know if he was there yet. And being the gutless-wonder I was, I still felt hesitant to express my feelings to him. _But maybe I'll tell him soon, otherwise my heart could very well burst out of my chest trying to suppress all these feelings._ My inner voice was in a drama-queen mode this morning!

Edward had kept the heater on to make sure we didn't freeze during the night, but still, I missed the heat of his body the moment I was out of his arms. Because I was totally addicted to his scent, I couldn't help but put on his dress shirt—the one that I had discarded the night before—from among the heap of our clothes.

Taking another whiff of the honey and sunshine and purely_ Edward_ smell of him, I quickly went to the kitchen, hoping to get back before he woke up.

**-OTC-**

Armed with two mugs of steaming hot chocolate, I walked back into his room. I placed the mugs on the nightstand and then slowly, crawled on top of him.

When we were face to face, I experimentally kissed his brows, his eyelids and then the tip of his nose. A muffled moan left his mouth, giving me a boost of confidence. _I wonder if he'd like _that_…_

Checking his still closed eyes, I moved back down his body, placing random kisses as I went. When I reached that tantalizing v-shaped line of his hips, I looked up at him. _Still sleeping. Good._

Then slowly, and very, _very_ cautiously, I took him in my hand. As soon as my breath fell on him, a louder moan left his now parted lips. Fascinated, I watched him fully harden right before my eyes._ Oh God!_

Carefully, I started placing kisses on the tip, first a closed-mouth one and then several open-mouthed kisses. "_Bella!_" he groaned. I peeked up at him and saw that his eyes were still closed. _Did he just call my name in his sleep?_

Emboldened by his obvious reaction to me, I took him in my mouth and started to suck.

"Holy fuck! Bella, love, what are you doing?" I looked up to meet his wide-eyed stare as he almost shouted the words out.

I rolled my eyes at him and then took him out of my mouth to reply with as much sarcasm as I could manage. "What does it look like I'm doing?"

When he didn't do anything but stare at me, I said, "I'm sure you'll figure it out soon enough." Then still keeping eye contact with him, I slipped him back into my mouth.

"Oh God!" A grunt came out of his mouth as his eyes rolled to the back of his head.

Feeling surer of myself with every passing moment, I took him deeper into my mouth, using the techniques Rose had tried to teach me in college. I enclosed him in my hand and started to move my hand up and down along with my mouth. He placed one hand in my hair and for a moment, I worried if he was going to push me away.

But he had something else in mind. He cupped the back of my neck with his hand and then slowly started to guide my motions. Remembering another jewel of Rose Hale wisdom, I tentatively touched his balls with my hand, which made him groan again.

Then suddenly, without a notice, he pulled me off of him.

I looked questioningly at him. "Did I not do it right? I thought you liked it," I said, feeling slightly rejected.

He placed his hand over mine and continued moving both our hands together around him. "You did it amazingly, baby. I just didn't want to come in your mouth." He panted.

Smiling at his chivalry, I moved my thumb over the tip collecting the moisture in there. Then taking a deep breath, I brought the finger into my mouth, tasting him for the first time.

"Holy Shit! Fuck! Bella!" With a guttural moan of my name, he exploded in our joined hands.

"_Victory!"_ I mentally fist-pumped myself.

Grasping my arms, Edward pulled me up his body to crash his lips to mine. After a deep kiss, he cupped my face in his hands and smiled at me. "Do you have any idea how sexy you are, Bella? What you do to me? I never knew I could want someone as much as I want you, my Bella."

Suddenly feeling shy at the intense look in his eyes, I shook my head and then breathed against his mouth. "No, I only know what _you_ do to _me_, Edward."

Placing a soft kiss on the corner of his mouth, I reached over to take the still hot mugs in my hands, and then leaned back to straddle him.

Offering one mug to him, I said, "Hot chocolate for my hot husband."

He took the mug from me and then smirked. "Oh baby, you don't know what hot means, until you see _my_ wife wearing _my_ shirt." He blatantly checked out the way his shirt was covering my otherwise naked body, making me blush like crazy. Taking a sip of the hot chocolate, he started running his free hand along my thigh.

The moment his hand reached at the apex, he tapped one finger against me, making me almost spit out the mouthful of my drink. He gave me a smug smile, sensing my lack of underwear. "Forgot something, did we, Mrs. Cullen?" he asked cheekily.

I squared my shoulders and shoved my hand in his crazy and extremely sexy bed-hair, then, I nibbled on his lip lightly. "Nope, Smirky," I whispered, "I just thought I would save you the trouble of taking them off in the first place."

He shook his head at me and started to move his hand to cup me, but I stopped him. "Let me give you your present first."

He frowned at me and asked, "But aren't you… uncomfortable?"

I giggled softly at his question. "Yes, but _someone_ once told me that foreplay only makes the real thing better. Besides, I'm sure you'll take care of me, baby."

With a wink at him, I got out his lap, fished out my panties from the mess of our clothes and put it on. He pouted, but followed my lead anyway. After he had put on a pair of boxers, we went downstairs, hand-in-hand, to get the present I had put under our Christmas tree the night before.

**EPOV**

When we reached the living room, I saw Bella had sneaked downstairs during some point in the night and left a large wrapped box underneath the tree.

She stared at lone box sitting underneath the tree for a few seconds, probably wondering where the hell I had put her present in._ Man! I hope she doesn't freak out seeing it._ I sent up a quick prayer before letting go of her hand, allowing her to get the box for me.

She bent down to retrieve it, giving me a fantastic view of her ass in the process and then straightening back up. Of course, she noticed my ogling, because she gave me a smirk as she walked back to me. "Enjoying the view, Dr. Cullen?"

Shamelessly, I grinned. "What can I say, baby? It's the best view in the world."

She giggled at my response and then pushed on my shoulder, indicating that I should take a seat.

Just as I sat down on the couch, she climbed up on my lap and cuddled into me.

She then handed me the carefully wrapped box and said shyly, "Merry Christmas, Edward. I hope this is first of many Christmases we'll get to share in our future."

Her words made me kiss her lips first before taking the present from her. As I slowly started to unwrap it, I could feel her impatience and nervousness coursing through her.

The paper revealed a generic looking box. I quirked an eyebrow at her, and she huffed. "Just open it already."

Laughing at her eagerness, I lifted the lid, only to take a sharp breath.

Nestled inside the box was a miniature shiny black piano. It was a perfect replica of the one I had in England. I placed my fingers on the tiny keys and was startled to hear sound of actual piano key coming out of the thing.

Holding the piano in one hand, I reached with the other for Bella. She was biting her lip, looking anxious about my reaction.

As soon as our eyes met, she started babbling. "I was looking for a music box for you but then this caught my eyes and I just… I couldn't forget the longing look you had in your eyes when you told me about your piano back in England. So I sort of asked Alice about that one and then went back to get the replica of yours. This is just a show piece really. I mean, the keys are tiny, so obviously you won't be able to play it but…"

I placed a finger on her lips, stopping her rant, and then smiled at her. "Baby, this is beautiful. Thank you."

A beautiful smile stretched on her lips and she pushed back some of my hair from my forehead, looking directly into my eyes. "Really? You like it?"

I shook my head, giving her my best cocky smile. "Nope. Like is not a strong enough word, baby. Love is more like it."

She ginned back at me. "You're welcome."

Giving her a swift kiss, I patted her ass. "Wanna see yours?" I asked.

She frowned, saying, "I hope you didn't get me something too expensive. You know I don't like anyone spending too much money on me."

I smirked at her, knowing my reply was going to pique her interest. "Not a single penny, baby."

On cue, her eyes widened. "Oh God! Did you steal it?" _What the…?! So not where I was going with it!_

I rolled my eyes at her. "No. I _arranged_ it."

She narrowed her eyes at me and asked warily, "And by '_arrange_' do you mean you made someone else steal for you?"

I snorted at the weird way her mind seemed to work sometimes. "No, smart-ass," I said, "If you'd kindly follow me upstairs, you'll find out."

She blushed at my sarcastic tone and climbed off of me. I set down my piano and then wrapped my arms around my wife before leading the way back up to my room. _Here goes nothing._

**BPOV**

When we reached Edward's room, he kept his hold on my hand and led me toward his closet._ What's he doing?_ I wondered silently. He offered me a tentative smile and pulled the closet door open. And I stared… dumbfounded.

After a few moments, I broke the silence. "Okay, Edward, what am I looking at?" I asked feeling utterly confused.

_Does he want me to pick something for him to wear? Is he taking me outside for the present?_ My subconscious questioned while scratching her head thoughtfully. Because all I could see before me was the half-filled closet. Edward's clothes were neatly placed in the half of it, while the other half looked completely bare.

Edward smiled at my puzzled expression and then chuckled before saying, "That's my present for you, Bellarina. I made space for you, in here, in the bathroom, in my room. I want more than just to wake up and fall asleep looking at your face. I want to call this _our _room, not just mine. I want to share my life you, baby, in every way. So, will you move in with me?"

Tears started to sting my eyes as I vigorously nodded.

In a choked voice, I gave him my reply. "Yes, Edward. I don't want to be anywhere else but right beside you. Thank you. I'm sorry it took this long. I just didn't know how to go about it once I wanted to…"

I had to stop my rambling, because the tears running down my cheeks were making it impossible to watch his exultant face and I needed to see his face, to know that this wasn't a dream.

I quickly dashed away the tears, threw my arms around his neck and kissed him—letting him know how much I loved the thought behind the present, how much I wanted to share my life with him and how much I loved him—without uttering a single word.

They way he tightened his arms around me, I was pretty sure he could feel the love anyway.

_But maybe I'll let him know soon._

**-OTC-**

The remainder of our day was full of moving my shit to his… to _our_ room. That night, after dinner, as we stood side by side, brushing our teeth before going to bed, I couldn't help but sigh. _Who knew life could be so… perfect?_

**-OTC-**

As the car moved closer and closer toward Forks, Edward seemed to become more and more agitated.

First, he started running his hand through his hair slightly, then he started to frown while pinching the bridge of his nose, then he started to drum his fingers on the steering wheel, making me feel tense for no reason. Now as I saw him almost roughly tug at his hair while still driving, I let out a huff.

"Are you trying to make yourself bald? I love your hair. So no uprooting them," I said.

My threat made him frown again. "I'm sorry."

I leaned into him and smoothed out the frown line with my thumb and forefinger. Then I combed through his hair with my fingers, trying to calm him down. "What's wrong, Edward? Why are you so worried?"

He petulantly tried to deny it. "I'm not worried. Why would you think that? I'm perfectly fine. I don't need to worry about anything."

I arched an eyebrow at his rambling and then smiled. "You pull your hair or pinch your nose when you worry. And right now, you're doing both so, don't try to tell me you're not worried. I know you. Tell me what's wrong."

A soft smile came across his face. "You caught that? I thought no one knew it about me."

Haughtily, I shrugged. "How many times do I have to tell you, I am not just anyone?"

He chuckled. "No, you are not just anyone. You are my wife." He reached for my hand and placed a kiss on my palm.

I gave him a look that said 'Damn right, I am!' and then motioned with my hand for him to continue.

He let go of my hand and sighed. "Bella, every time we have come to Forks after getting married, we stayed with our parents… separated from each other. But this time, I don't think I can stay away from you for five whole days. I don't have the strength to stay away from you—physically and emotionally."

I grinned at him, knowing that he wanted to be near me just as much as I him was something I had only hoped for in the past. Then I lightly rubbed his shoulders, wanting get him to relax.

When his muscles felt more relaxed, I said, "Then you won't have to stay away from me. Wherever we stay, we'll stay together. If anyone has a problem with that, we can always check into the B&B at the town border. Edward and Bella come together—they'll have to understand that."

Finally he smiled at the double meaning in my words and smirked. I pushed him slightly, muttering '_Perv_', making him laugh out loudly. _I love being the reason to make him laugh._

**-OTC-**

After reaching Forks, we had decided to split our time between Edward's parents' house and mine. Though Charlie being Charlie, had tried to threaten Edward to make him sleep on the couch downstairs, I put my foot down.

In no uncertain terms, I had told him that we were a package deal. I won't let him treat my husband like my hormone-driven teenage boyfriend and shut him out of my room.

Begrudgingly, he had acquiesced. _Of course, he has no idea that the hormone-driven teenage personality lies within his daughter and not Edward!_ My subconscious had snickered, but I shot the bitch down.

Now after having a pizza dinner, we all sat in my parents' back porch.

A cold blow of air swiped through the place. I tightened the light blanket I had wrapped around me and leaned back. Behind me, Edward encircled his arms around me, allowing me to sit against him.

I felt so content, being surrounded by our family and in the arms of my man, I could've fucking purred. I saw my father grimace at our _very_ modest cuddling and remembering how he had tried to terrorize Edward with his guns a few months ago, I nuzzled even closer to my husband.

A soft hiss left Edward's lips, audible only to me. Thinking he was cold, I was about to turn around and offer him share of my blanket, when I felt _him_, hot and hard beneath me.

_Well, hello there!_

I debated trying to get more reaction out of him but decided not to go there. Being surrounded by our parents and siblings and Rose and Jasper, was definitely not the time to get into foreplay.

I was still dreaming up naughty scenarios in my head where I could rile Edward up even more, when Alice broke the silence. "Bella, Edward, I was thinking we should have a party on New Year's Eve."

Both Edward and I started to protest when she held up her hands. "Let me finish, will you? We don't get to spend that much time together anymore and I miss my family. Besides, after the Thanksgiving fiasco, I want to see our family all together and happy. It will be just us and Jasper and Rose's parents and of course Charlie and Reneé. C'mon, please? I missed spending Christmas with you. Let me have the New Years?"

She brought out the big guns and gave us the puppy dog eyes, complete with the damn trembling lip.

Being the pushover I was, I sighed. "Fine, Alice. But no outsiders, all right? I want to be with just my family."

"Yay!" in true Alice fashion she squealed and hugged Jasper, who ruffled her hairs.

I could feel Edward shaking his head behind me. I turned to face him and offered an apologetic smile.

Even in the dark, I didn't miss the devilish glint in his eyes, as he leaned down and whispered in my ear, "All right, but I get to peel you out of your dress after the party."

A shiver of desire ran through me at his words.

_Oh God! How long till the New Years again?_

**A/N: I know you all expected the big declaration at work but since they're on vacation, the big revelation will have to wait a bit.**

**So… how did you like Christmas in July?**

**Leave me your thoughts and review. :)**

**The songs I listened to while writing the chapter: Kiss you by One Direction and Free by Enrique Iglesias.**

**Take care.**

**Ann**


	42. Chapter- 42: New Year, New Beginning

**Disclaimer: No copyrights infringement intended. I don't own Twilight saga or any of its awesome characters.**

**A/N: Thanks to everyone who has reviewed, favorited, put on alert or simply... read OTC. You guys make my days a little bit brighter. Thank you. Now you get to read my most favorite chapter in OTC! ;-)**

**Enjoy Chapter-42 and I'll see you at the end of this chapter! :-)**

**Chapter- 42: New Year, New Beginning**

**BPOV**

"Bella, will you please come out? We're dying to see you!" Alice's pleading voice was followed by Rosalie's more threatening one. "Isabella Marie, I swear, if you don't open the door within the next ten seconds, I am going to get Emmett to break it down."

My eyes widened at the idea of Emmett seeing me like this. If there was one person I could handle seeing me like this, it was Edward. From the other side of the closed door, I could hear Rosalie's voice again.

"One… Two… oh for fuck's sake, Swan, I've seen you in your undies! What's the big deal? Three… Four… You hear that? I said four! Five…" I could imagine Rose shaking her head at the door and rolling her eyes at Alice.

When threat didn't seem to work, she took Alice's stance. "B, I need to pee, real bad. Emmett is taking a shower in his bathroom, so will you _please_ come out?"

Knowing that she was just pretending, I snarked back. "Go to Edward's or the guest bathrooms. There's more bathroom in this house than people."

A frustrated huff later, she said in a menacing voice, "If you weren't my best friend, I would've throttled you for being this annoying."

_Good! Rile her up and she'll forget about getting you out!_ I unleashed my inner bitch and snickered. "The feeling is entirely mutual, Hale."

Because the universe hated me and the bitch knew me so well, she caught on my game plan. Finally she deadpanned. "Fine. Stay there. If I pee out here, Alice, make sure Bella gets to clean it all up. All right?"

If it was anyone else, I would've called their bluff, but Rosalie Lillian Hale was a stubborn bitch. So there was abso-fucking-lutely no guarantee that she'd not do exactly that. Still unsure about this whole thing, I looked in the mirror and blushed furiously.

I could see my reflection, wearing a very fine and almost see-through navy blue corset and thong. My usually understated curves looked very prominent in this. _Edward's going to have an MI when he sees me in this._ Repeating that like a mantra in my head, I opened the bathroom door and heard two loud gasps.

"Damn! My brother is a lucky man! If I didn't have Jazzy, I would so try to get into your panties," Alice said all the while checking me out from head to toe.

Rose, of course being the more obnoxious one, whistled and then turned to grin at Alice. "Get in the line, Missy. I am calling dibs." Facing me again, she said, "Holy Fuck, B, you have a hot piece of ass! Eddie's gonna pass out when he sees you tonight." That, paired with Edward's delicious threat to peel off my dress tonight, made me blush—yet again.

Wolf-whistles ensued from both of my friends. I tried to look nonchalant and smirked in a true Edward fashion, while motioning toward my ridiculously indecent underwear. "That's the plan, Rose. Thanks for this, dude."

Immediately Alice's giggles cut off as she looked nauseated. She looked horrified, as if a thought had just occurred to her. "Ew, I don't want to hear about what you and my brother do in bed, Bella."

Enjoying her horrified expression, I goaded her even more. "Who said anything about a bed, Allie?"

"AAAA!" she screamed and shoved her fingers in her ears. "I need to bleach my brain. NOW!" Before I could say anything else, she ran out of the room.

Rosalie's snickers made me turn and face her. She held up her hands. "Hey, now, I just thought since you're getting regular action now, you need some sexy shit to make his scarecrow-head spin. What kind of best friend will I be, if I'm not the one to buy you your first corset?"

I fake-pouted. "I love that head, you know? So don't go around comparing it to scarecrows."

I was almost to the bathroom door, to take it off for now, when I turned to wink at her. "By the way, Rose, you are an awesome friend. Thanks for the present."

Her laughter followed me as I shut the door behind me. _Jesus! I can't wait till the night is over._

**-OTC-**

"Looking for me, baby?" I started at the sudden whisper against my ear and then I felt a shiver run down from the back of my neck, where his lips were pressed, to the tips of my toes.

Trying desperately to control my jelly-legs, I turned to face my husband.

Though it was a family event, Alice wanted the party to be a black-tie event, making us wear stuff designed by herself. So of course, Edward was wearing a fucking tuxedo, and _of course_, I was having a very hard time keeping my hands off of him.

"_Shut it, Bella. You are surrounded by your parents and in-laws. Don't think about doing dirty stuff to this sexy man now. You'll have your time. Just hang on till the countdown." _I mentally chastised myself.

Then hoping to get a rise out of him, I fingered the lapels of his jacket and smiled. "Not really. I was just thinking of getting something to eat, actually. I am getting kind of hungry." I am pretty sure my eyes told him that my hunger was not for food, because he closed his eyes and groaned, leaning his head down to my shoulder.

I slipped a hand in his hair and pulled his face up to meet his eyes. "You all right, baby?" I teased.

He scowled at me before grinning evilly. "Oh, I am fan-fucking-tastic, Mrs. Cullen. It's you who should be worried. I am gonna make you forget your name tonight, I promise," he whispered, almost brushing my lips with his. I felt heat radiate through me at the delicious threat as well as the way he called me _Mrs. Cullen_.

And in that moment, I had an epiphany. I loved this man and I hoped he felt something for me too. I was not going to let him get away from me—ever. So why was I still not committing myself fully to him? To our relationship? _No, this has to change. I am going to change it. I am going to commit to _us.

Having made up my mind, I placed a kiss at the corner of his mouth and started to tell him about my plan. But that exact moment, Emmett decided to join us. "Li'l bro, BabyBell, what's going on? What's up with the PDA, guys?"

Edward almost growled as I stepped away from him, blushing bright red. He sneered at his cousin. "You are the last fucker on earth who should say anything about our PDA, Em. You are always trying to dry hump Rosalie or thinking about it."

Emmett let out an overly-dramatic gasp. Then he looked at me and asked, "Holy shit, BabyBell, you let him kiss you with that potty-mouth?"

I quickly held my hands up. "Oh no, big brother, I am not getting in the middle of this."

I noticed Rose and Alice at the far end of the Cullens' massive backyard—the venue for our party. So, I excused myself and tapped on Edward's nose. "I'm gonna get a drink. You two stay out of trouble, okay?"

Instantly they both arranged their faces to look like angels and Edward gave me his crooked grin. "I am always out of trouble, baby."

Rolling my eyes at his antics, I walked away from them.

**EPOV**

I was just goofing off with Emmett when my mother's voice came into my ear. "I am sorry, dear. But you must have come to the wrong house. This is a private party. If you could tell me where you wanted to go, I might be able to give you directions."

Her polite suggestion was followed by an obnoxious laughter. "Lady, I am here for your son. He has stolen something of mine and I would like to take it back."

The second the voice registered in my head, a sudden burst of anger surged through me. _That fucker! How dare he come near my Bella again?_

Emmett looked questioningly at me, just as mom called for me. "Edward? Dear, there's someone looking for you."

In a low voice, I told Emmett to make sure Bella didn't come there and then walked up to where my mother was standing, with Jacob-fucking-Black.

"Mom, I got this. You can go. I'm sure Dad's looking for you," I said, not moving my glare from Black's leering face.

"But Edward, he was saying…" I cut her off and placed a hand on her shoulder to make her understand. "Mom, please. I'll handle this."

By some miracle, she listened and left us alone.

"Jacob Black. What are you doing here?" I asked him the moment my mom was out of hearing range.

"Oh, I think you know, Cullen. You stole something of mine. It's time you give her up," he said. When I didn't say anything in reply, he sneered again. "I am talking about Bella of course."

I let out a harsh breath, trying desperately to control my anger. In a very quiet voice, I replied, "Bella is not an object to be stolen. She is a living, breathing person, a person with a heart which can only be won, not stolen. Got that, Black? And as for giving her up, I have no intention of leaving her side… not until she orders me out of her life. I am also pretty sure, that's not going to happen anytime soon. So, you should just leave. _Now_."

Black laughed darkly before once again grinning like a retard. "Tanya said you were a delusional asshole." My eyebrows scrunched up at the sound of _her_ name._ How does he know Tanya?_

As if he could read my mind, his smile widened. "Oh, you don't know about me and Tanya, do you? Well, Tanya and I have been on and off for some time now. She's a stupid bitch who thinks I love her, as if I can love anyone other than Bella." He scoffed before snickering once again. "And by the way, I was also the guy who knocked Tanya up while she was with you. Did you know that? She was the one I went to the Christmas party with. When I met your skinny ass there, however, I thought it was better to leave than create a scene."

I shrugged, feeling nothing but a mild irritation at his proclamation of love for my wife. "It really doesn't matter what you have going on with Tanya, Black. I don't give a rat's ass about her. And as for creating a scene, I think you were scared of me to leave like that because you're here tonight—creating a scene anyway," I said truthfully.

His face darkened, obviously aggravated by the fact that his revelation didn't get a rise out of me. Then his eyes glinted maliciously as if he had found a newer point of attack. "Do you give a _rat's ass_ about Bella, Cullen? Because let me tell you. You are a new stranger in her life. She maybe putting up with you now but, she is always looking for safe and comfortable. And I, being the oldest friend she's got, she's bound to come to me, once she gets to know your nerdy ass."

A humorless chuckle passed my lips. This piece of shit didn't know a fucking thing about my Bella.

I let a lazy grin spread across my face and goaded him. "You are wrong on so many counts, I don't know where to begin. But, I'll try my best to enlighten you. Firstly, _I_ am the oldest friend she's got. I had been in the room when she first opened those beautiful eyes. I was the lucky bastard she smiled at, for the first time. As for safe and comfortable, if you think _that_ about her, then I am sorry to tell you, but you don't know jack about my girl. She loves thrill and adventure."

His nostrils flared as he stepped closer to me, trying to stare me down. In a calculating voice, he said, "Whatever, I took her first kiss."

My anger exploded and I couldn't stop myself from grinning at him. "She _gave_ me her virginity. I am her first _everything_ else."

I was starting to enjoy handing his ass out to him, when a sudden cry of '_Oh my God!_' made me turn to meet Bella's wide eyes as she stood a little distance away from us, flanked by our entire family. _Fuck! Did I say that in front of Charlie? You are dead, Cullen._

A shriek of my name from my sister made me turn back to look at Black, or the huge fist coming in direction. Purely by reflex, I didn't know I had, I managed to move out of the way and then landed a solid right hook, right under his left eye while he looked in shock for missing me.

"Son of a bitch," he cried out before falling down to his knees.

Before I knew what was happening, I found myself in Bella's tight embrace. She pressed her face to my chest for a moment and then turned around to face Black.

"Jacob, why the hell are you here? What part of 'stay away from me' you didn't get? Or did my punch not send the message well enough?" she shouted at him.

He looked up from his position at her feet and said in a pleading voice, "Bells, I love you. This fucker doesn't deserve you, I do. Deep down, you know you love me too. I can make you happy, Bells."

Bella put one hand on her hip and with the other reached to grasp my hand. "The '_fucker_' as you just called him, is my _husband_, he's the man I want to be with. It's me who doesn't deserve him and I thank my lucky fucking stars every day, that I have him in my life. He is the one who makes me happy." The honesty in her voice made me wrap my arms around her from behind. _She is my sexy hell-cat._

My touch seemed to calm her down and she leaned into me. Black stood up and tried to speak but Bella held up one hand to indicate she wasn't done yet. "Jake, you don't love me. What you feel is an obsession. You are obsessed with the idea that we should have ended up together. That's infatuation, not love. Love is, when you find happiness from just being in the same space as another person. Love is, when you smile even when that person makes you want to strangle him every single day, because you love him. It's not about reciprocation, Jake. Love is, wanting what is best for _him_, not yourself. What you are doing is not right, Jake. Not for you, or Tanya or Edward and me. So please, just go, okay?"

_Wait, how does she know so much about love? Can she…?_ My musings were cut short when Black looked at Bella as if she just ran over his puppy with her scary-ass truck.

"You really don't think we'll be good together, Bell? You really want me to give up?" he asked slowly.

Bella sighed before placing her hands over mine where they encircled her waist. She rubbed on my finger where I had put on my wedding band the day she had move into my room.

Quietly, she replied, "Jacob, there's nothing to give up on… there never was. You were never anything other than my friend. And the only man I can think of spending my life with, the only one I have ever thought of sharing my life with, is Edward. It's always been him, Jake, even when he wasn't around me, I was waiting for him. I don't think you and I can even be friends at this point, Jacob."

He started to protest, probably hoping to be able to win her over with time. But Bella shook her head. "No, Jacob. Even if I could forgive you for what you did, all those years ago by betraying my trust, I can never forgive you for what you did tonight, or to Tanya. She maybe a bitch for what she did, but you are still using her and that's not like the boy I thought I knew. And tonight, you crashed our private party, you insulted my husband and took a swing at him. For that, I cannot forgive you. So please, leave us alone. _You_ are the stranger to me, Jake. Go."

Then she turned and buried her face in my chest. I felt my arms wrap around her, trying desperately to take away all the hurt that ass-wipe had caused her. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Charlie and Emmett usher Black away from the house and hopefully, out of our lives.

Returning my attention to the beautiful woman in my arms, I placed a kiss on the top of her head. "Bella? Baby? Are you okay?"

My softly spoken words had a violent reaction as suddenly Bella pushed away from my chest and started to hit me anywhere she could reach. _What the fuck?_

**BPOV**

Like a maniac, I kept hitting his chest. Edward quickly grabbed my hand to stop my assault and exclaimed, "Bella, what the hell are you hitting me for? What did I do?"

I felt my temper flare at his act of innocence and I started yelling at him. "What the fuck did you do, Cullen? Were you asleep in the last hour? Why on earth will you go for a macho showdown against Jacob?"

He had the nerve to grin. "I won the showdown, though. He didn't get to lay a finger on me and I managed to land a perfectly executed right hook on his face."

"Urgh, you are so frustrating!" I screamed while trying to free my hands so that _I_ could land a punch on him.

He frowned at me. "Why are you getting mad at _me_?"

Finally realizing that he indeed was clueless at my behavior, I tried to explain, while forcing my voice down to a more civil tone. "Are you sure you're not blind, Edward? Did you see him? He's bigger than Em, for crying out loud!" Okay, so maybe my tone wasn't that civil, but my heart was still racing at the thought of Edward getting hurt.

He held me at arm's length and smirked at me, infuriating me even more. "You know, I'm not very scrawny myself. After all, you've seen me without clothes."

I huffed. "Shut up. Don't try to dazzle your way out of this. Maybe you're not scrawny but he's like a fucking bulldog on fucking steroids! On the other hand, you're… you're like a… a…" I threw my hands up in the air, not finding a proper analogy.

He smugly tried to offer to help me with my lack of vocabulary. "A mountain lion? Or a majestic stallion, perhaps?"

I scowled at him and deadpanned. "Nope, definitely not a mountain lion. You're a Chihuahua."

Immediately his face fell and he turned on the 'pouty-boy' charm. I turned away, knowing that I will give in the moment I see his puppy dog eyes. A frustrated groan left his lips before he tried to angle my face to meet his eyes. I shut my eyes closed, afraid to let him see how much he had come to mean to me in such a short time.

Another groan and then he asked in a rough voice, "I don't understand why you're getting so worked up about such a small thing."

My eyes snapped open and I glared at him. "Small thing? Edward, do you have any idea how scared I was? What do you think I'd have done if something happened to you? Huh? I can't… I can't see you get hurt." The last sentence coming out as a mere whisper.

I must have pushed him too hard, because he demanded stubbornly, "Why?"

Unable to hold it in anymore, I blurted out, "Because, I love you, okay?"

As soon as the words left my mouth, I slapped one hand over my lips, wishing to take it back. Edward looked into my eyes and I swear, I could see his eyes fucking shine even in the dark of night.

A squeal from my sister-in-law alerted me to the fact that my confession of love was witnessed by both our families and friends. I quickly looked down, suddenly finding my shoes very interesting. _Shit! You don't blurt out that you love your husband in front of an audience, you neurotic ass!_

I heard Edward let out a ragged breath before he whispered softly, "What did you just say, love?"

The sound of his voice, coupled with the term of endearment, made my brain-to-mouth filter evaporate into thin air. "Holy shit, Edward. I'm sorry I said it here, in front of everyone. I wanted to make a grand gesture like you always do and say it later and… fuck! I'm sorry for blurting it out like this. If you're not ready yet, I'd totally understand…" _Shut the fuck up, Bella, now!_

I was on the verge of hyperventilation by this point but Edward calmed me down, like only he could. He nudged my chin to make me lift my eyes, cupped my cheek in his hand and then smiled like he had just won a fucking lottery. "Not ready? Bella, I have been dying to hear those words from you since forever. I was afraid _you_ wouldn't be ready to hear them. I love you, Bella. I am so in love with you that I get into backyard brawls over you. If that doesn't tell you how much I love you, I don't know what will."

I felt a huge fucking grin start to split my face in two as I looked at his eyes, shining with pure love… for me. "Yeah? You really love me?"

He nodded, matching my grin. "Hell yeah. You?"

Taking a page out of his book, I stood on my tiptoes and kissed his smiling mouth. Then I whispered against his lips, "Hell yeah. I love you, Edward, only you… always you."

We would have continued our sappiness if Rose's voice didn't infiltrate our bubble. "Guys, as much as I want to say, thank you, God, you probably should tone it down a bit. I'm sure poor Charlie doesn't want to see your make out session after hearing Edward announce the fact that you two sealed the deal. Besides, it's almost midnight, save some kissing for the New Year, will ya?"

I blushed at the reminder that Edward had said, quite loudly, that he had deflowered me. _Sorry, Daddy!_ I started to step away from Edward, feeling truly and utterly mortified. But he held on to my waist and made us turn to face our audience. "Is it the time for countdown, Allie?" he asked clearly trying to defuse the tension.

Alice quickly glanced at Jasper's watch and clapped her hands. "We got sixteen seconds, people. Gather around everyone." With a sly wink at us, she started to lead everyone back to the middle of yard, allowing us some semblance of privacy.

As we stood face to face, waiting for the clock to strike twelve, I decided to tell Edward about my little resolution from earlier in the evening. I slowly entwined my arms around his neck and looked at him from beneath my eyelashes, knowing that drove him crazy. "Edward," I whispered, our lips almost touching, "I have made a New Year's Resolution."

He smiled down at me, probably thinking it was some silly thing. "Yeah? Care to share with me, baby?"

I grinned at him and said, "I want to mark this year as a new beginning for us… by starting it as Isabella Cullen. I want the whole world to know that I belong to you and to you only."

A sharp intake of breath and then he was grinning right back at me. "I love the sound of that, Mrs. Cullen." Before he could continue making me into a puddle of Bell-O (Bella version of Jell-O), Alice's voice rang out through the clearing, "Three… two… one! Happy New Year!"

Edward pulled me to his chest and kissed me in his toe-curling way. I let out a low moan as he sucked on my lip and then he smiled. "Happy New Year, baby. I love you and I promise to tell you that every single day of all the coming years of our lives."

I whispered back, "I love you too, Edward." And then I laid my head on his chest, feeling completely and utterly blissful.

**-OTC-**

I was still reeling from the wrestling match my husband had had with my old traitorous friend, as I ascended to our room with the ice pack in my hands.

"Hey baby, is everyone gone?" Edward asked me, the minute I closed the door behind me.

I nodded before walking up to him. I sat down beside him on the bed, took his hand in mine and held the ice pack to his injured knuckle. He hissed as the cold touched his skin. I frowned at the hand I was cradling in my lap. "Does it hurt too much?"

He smiled. "It's nothing. It looks worse than it feels." And then he said hopefully, "But maybe it won't hurt at all, if you kissed it better?"

Rolling my eyes at his childishness, I raised his hand to my lips and carefully kissed each of his knuckles. Then I quirked an eyebrow and asked, "Feels better?"

His smile widened as a mischievous glint came on to his eyes. "A lot. I should properly thank you for taking care of me, Mrs. Cullen. I believe I made certain promises to you and a gentleman always keeps his promises."

I felt my cheeks heat up at his words and bit my lip, wanting to show my love for him but feeling unsure if his hand was indeed better.

As if he could hear the wheels turning in my brain, he slipped his hand in my hair, grasping the back of my neck and bringing our lips together. "I'm fine, baby, I promise. I need you. I need to love you. Let me, please."

Now how do you say no to that? The answer is—you don't. So I didn't hold back anymore. I dropped the ice pack on top of the bedside cabinet and grabbed his shirt collar to hold him to me.

"As much as I love seeing you in a tux, this has to go," I panted, shoving the tux away from his shoulders and then starting to unbutton his shirt. When his abs was bare to me and my wandering lips, he brought my lips back up to his. "I believe it's my turn now, Bellarina."

I looked into his eyes and smirked, feeling impatient to see his reaction when he saw my corset. His hands traveled to the zipper at my back as he started kissing my neck, shoulder, collar bone. The moment the top half of my dress fell away, a loud gasp came out of him and then… radio silence.

He just stared at me for what seemed like forever before with a hungry growl, he leapt out of the bed, bringing me with him.

As soon as I stood up, my dress pooled at my feet, revealing my thong to his eyes. "Bella, what is this?" he asked me in a husky voice that always told me he was turned on.

"_On my next day off, I am so gonna hunt down the Victoria's Secret store!" _I promised myself and then grinned at my wide-eyed husband. "This is called a corset and this… is a thong," I said, pointing and saying in a very matter-of-fact tone.

"I am a lucky fucking bastard!" he exclaimed before wrapping his arms around me and bringing me flush to his chest, making us both groan at the contact.

Needless to say that Edward made good on his promises, he peeled the thong off of me… with his teeth _and_ he made me forget my name… as he kissed every fucking inch of my body. It was only when I was falling asleep in the tangle of bed sheets and our limbs; he whispered my new name, making me remember it again. "I love you, Bella Cullen."

_"__Being in love with Edward is the best feeling in the world and I never want that feeling to fade away,_" was my last thought before I fell into a peaceful slumber.

**A/N: Phew! A long-ass chapter. But I hope you enjoyed it. ;)**

**Let me know your thoughts and leave a review, please.**

**The songs I listened to while writing this chapter: ****_Roar by Katy Perry and Escape by Enrique Iglesias._**

**Take care.**

**Ann**


	43. Chapter- 43: Mine, Bitch!

**Disclaimer: No copyrights infringement intended. I don't own Twilight saga or any of its awesome characters.**

**A/N: Thanks to everyone who has reviewed, favorited, put on alert or simply... read OTC. You guys make my days a little bit brighter. Thank you. **

**Enjoy Chapter-43 and I'll see you at the end of this chapter! :-)**

**Chapter- 43: Mine, Bitch!**

**EPOV**

The sun had started to dip downwards, by the time we left Forks for home. Just after we passed the town marker, Bella leaned her head down on my shoulder. I quickly glanced at her before turning my eyes back on the road._ My poor girl must be tired._

After a few minutes, in which I had fully expected her to fall asleep on me, I felt her place a light kiss right under my jawbone.

"Um, Bella? Baby, what are you doing?" Even to my own ears my voice sounded strained. _Geesh, Cullen! You have become a horny fucker, you know that?_ I mentally chastised myself for being turned on by such a simple touch.

However, my sweet and utterly sexy wife did not seem to notice the change in my voice. She simply placed another kiss on the same spot before brushing her lips along my jaw line… as far as she could reach without making me turn my head. I held my breath and started to repeat the fucking alphabet just to make sure I didn't pull up beside the highway and take her.

The stiffness of my shoulder blades must have alerted her because she moved her head back a little and looked into my face. "Edward, what is it? Why are you so tensed? Do you need a neck massage?" I could hear the honest concern in her voice.

I quickly shook my head. _No way I'm gonna survive her rubbing my neck _and_ driving at the same time._ I could still feel her eyes on me and finally decided to tell her the truth. "Baby, can you not do that while I'm driving?"

"Do what? I was doing nothing and then I got distracted by your scruffy jaw. You didn't shave this morning," she said quite innocently, but the smile in her voice was easy to catch. _Minx!_

I threw a smirk in her way and said, "No, I didn't get time to do that. I got distracted to do something much more enticing this morning. You, my love, are very distracting."

She gasped as if that was the most obvious lie in the world. She poked my side. "Yeah? I am the distracting one, huh? From what I can remember, Dr. Cullen, you were the one who distracted me from my beauty sleep by moving my pillow and then using various other methods."

I peeked at her and sure enough, she was blushing, most likely remembering the wakeup call I had given her this morning.

I chuckled and considered pointing out the fact that the pillow she was talking about was none other than myself. But I decided to make her blush even more and said smugly, "I seem to recall you quite liked my 'other methods.'"

Because she was completely unpredictable, instead of blushing, she kissed my jaw again and whispered, "You're right. I love all your methods. And I love you."

A stupid grin stretched across my face as I heard her say those words. Just three simple words, but they had the power to make me want to shout out from the top of the highest mountain peak that I loved Bella Cullen.

_Yeah, I heard it. I sound like a corny-ass bastard, but I don't give two shits. Because Bella said she loves me!_

After a few moments of silence, I asked her, "Why's that?"

The whole conversation seemed to have already been forgotten by my wife because she was back at my jaw, placing random kisses. She absently asked back, "Why's what?"

I chuckled and then moved my head just a little bit out of her reach. "Hey! I was enjoying that, you know?" she protested.

"So was I, baby. But really, tell me. Why do you love me?" I asked her once again.

She snorted in her cute way. "No way am I telling you that. You don't need your ego inflated anymore."

I sighed at her playful response. The truth was—I wanted to know why she loved me not because I needed an ego boost, but because it still amazed me that she fell in love with me, considering our beginning.

A few minutes later, suddenly Bella started talking; making my heart feel like it was going to explode. She was looking out the window, as she said, "I love you. Even when you act like an arrogant ass, or an egotistical jerk, or like you are the most superior specimen of the male population, I love you. I love you because you are the only man who can steal my breath with a single kiss. I love you because you are ready to shed tears while tackling onion monsters for me. I love you because you make me feel beautiful, and loved, and cherished, every moment that I am with you. I love you because you bought tampons for me."

Then she turned her face to look into my eyes and placed her hand on my cheek, before continuing softly, "But most of all, I love you because you are mine. I just love you, Edward Cullen."

I finally gave up and stopped the car at the road side. I moved my lips to place a kiss on her palm and then took her hand in mine. Taking a deep breath, I said, "I love you too, Bella Cullen. You try to drown me in your drink, you scream bloody murder at me at work sometimes, you make me jealous of a freaking fictional vampire, you make me go and buy tampons for you for fuck's sake, but I still love you. You wanna know why?"

Bella sniffled and shook her head. I smiled at her. "I love you because, you are the most amazing woman in my world, Bellarina. You support me when I am at my lows; you tell me you are proud of me even after I have acted like an ass to you, you go all sexy hell-cat when you hear someone belittled me in the past. I love you because you are my best friend, Bella. I love you because you are you."

Her eyes glistened with unshed tears as she offered me a watery-smile. Trying to lighten up the mood, I smirked at her. "Oh, I forgot. I love you because your lips taste like my perfect heaven. I love you for the sounds you make and the way you scrunch up your face when I am inside you."

She let out a squeak and then slapped one hand on my mouth, shutting me up. "Oh my God! Edward, you cannot say stuff like that."

I shrugged nonchalantly. "It's the truth." She rolled her eyes at my cockiness and leaned in for a kiss. _I really loved this woman._

**-OTC-**

As I was about to fall asleep, I felt Bella turn slightly in my arms to look at me. She rubbed her hand against my arm that was wrapped around her middle and then said softly, "Baby, are you asleep?"

I made a humming noise to let her know I was listening to her. She brought my hand to her lips and kissed it before continuing. "I need to get to work a little early tomorrow."

I opened my eyes and looked at her in confusion. _Why does she need to go to the hospital early? Is she having second thoughts about changing her name?_

Before I could ask her what she meant, she turned completely and gave me a tentative smile. "I, uh, I kind of called the HR this morning and asked to have my name changed. They said to come in early tomorrow to get my new ID."

A surprised laughter came out of my lips and I brought her to my chest, kissing her thoroughly. Once I had made her breathless with my amazing kissing skills, I smiled at her. "Love, for that, I can drive you there right fucking now. I just cannot wait to let everyone know that you are mine."

She laughed at my cheesiness. "If I had known you'd react this way, I'd have gotten it changed sooner. I'm sorry to keep you waiting."

I placed a chaste kiss to her lips. "No, love. I don't want any more apologies between us. I promised you that I'd come back for you when we were kids, look how long that took. So, let's just start our lives afresh from now, okay?"

She nodded with a smile on her beautiful face. "Okay. Good night, Edward. I love you." As she placed her head on my chest, I kissed the top of her head, murmuring that I loved her as well.

_Tomorrow is going to bring a lot of changes and lot of demands for explanations, but as long as I have my Bella with me, we'll get through anything._

**BPOV**

I looked down at the badge in my hands, saying Isabella Cullen. For my whole life, I had been Isabella Swan and now that I had changed my name officially, it felt different.

A good different.

I used to think it was just a piece of paper, but now, I knew it was so much more than that. It was my way of telling the whole world that Edward was my husband and I belonged to him and only him.

A few minutes ago, when he had left me at the door of the change room, Edward had taken my left hand and pressed a kiss on the wedding band he had put there five months before. It was his way of thanking me for letting everyone know about us and I couldn't help but fall in love with him just a little bit more.

After changing into my horribly pink scrubs, I clipped the badge on and headed out the door, only to see my husband standing right outside, already in his scrubs and lab coat, waiting for me.

I started to walk up to him when we heard the Chief's voice behind us. "Cullen, Swan, I was hoping I would run into you, come into my office for a moment."

I cursed silently and looked at Edward. He shrugged but gave me an encouraging smile before motioning me to follow Dr. Farrell.

"_Fuck! We are not gonna lose our jobs, right? There's no anti-fraternization policy in the hospital, is there? Edward checked it out. He said we wouldn't get into any troubles. Oh God! If he loses his job for my coward-ass, I won't be able to forgive myself." _My brain was working overtime to stop a panic attack, but failing miserably.

I felt Edward brush my hand with his as he walked beside me, calming me down instantly. "_Okay, it'll be fine. Edward loves me and that's what matters the most. I will make this right,"_ I promised myself before entering Dr. Farrell's office behind Edward.

**-OTC-**

"So, there is still time before the shift starts. Why don't you tell me how this miracle happened? Who broke down first?" Edward and I gaped as the Chief of Medicine asked us conversationally.

I gulped and asked, "Sir?"

He let out a laugh. "You young people think you are so smart, don't you? You think you can hide all the sneaky looks, arriving to work together and dance floor kisses from me? No, Miss Swan, I am afraid I have figured it out. I saw you two kiss at the party so, don't try to tell me I am assuming things. There's nothing to be afraid of. There's nothing in the hospital policy that says you two cannot date. It's fine. I am happy to see you two together. I just want to know who approached whom, for a bet I have going on with Marcus."

Edward opened his mouth and asked in a bewildered tone, "You and Dr. Volturi have been betting on us?"

The chief nodded and looked at us expectantly, seemingly oblivious to the matching confused expressions on our faces.

Finally, Edward chuckled. "I am sorry to say that neither of you won, sir. Because Bella and I are not dating and therefore there's no question of one approaching the other."

Now the chief looked baffled. "But what about the kiss we all saw you two share?"

I decided to take it upon myself to clear it all up. So I took a deep breath and said, "Chief, he's right. We are not _dating_. Dr. Cullen is my husband. We have been married the whole time he has worked here."

If it was possible at that moment, I would've feared for the chief's eyebrows, because they were in danger of getting lost in his hairline. "Then why were you two so hell-bent on insulting each other the day Cullen came to work here?"

Edward sighed, looking tired of this conversation already. "Chief, the thing is, Bella and I got married the weekend before I started working here. There was not enough time for her to notify everyone about it beforehand and since ours was an arranged marriage, we were strangers to each other. So neither of us had any idea where the other worked. We had decided to tell everyone about it, today."

Finally, the chief's eyebrows returned to their usual level and he laughed out loud. "Good God! Marcus and I had been betting on you two ever since that first day! Well, I guess congratulations are in order. It's a good thing to see such a young and well-matched couple like you two. Congratulations. Isabella, you should probably notify to Montgomery about it, just to be safe, all right?" I let out the breath I had been holding in and nodded at the chief.

Edward and I were almost out of the door when his voice came from behind us. "Oh and Cullen, don't go _hiding _in medicine closets while on the clock anymore."

My eyes widened at the implication that Dr. Farrell must have known about our make out sessions there. Taking a peek at Edward, I saw the tip of his ears had turned red as he gave a silent nod before almost dragging me out of the office.

Once the door was safely shut behind us, we burst out into silent laughter.

_That wasn't so bad. If this is the reaction we are going to get, I'm ready to face our team members._

**-OTC-**

The talk with Mr. Montgomery was short and to the point. I informed him about my marriage, he congratulated me and wished Edward and I happiness and then apologized for his daughter's behavior on night of the party.

Apparently, Tanya had had a change of heart. She had confessed about her pregnancy and abortion, her history with Edward, the truth about who her new boyfriend was and how she had tried to insult Edward in front of me. I told him it was okay and it was, as long as she didn't show up in our lives and said shit about my man, I was totally cool with her.

**-OTC-**

However, I came very close to losing my cool the moment we entered the ward. Edward was briefing us when Lauren, who was standing right next to me, hissed. "Is it true you attacked Dr. Cullen at the party?"

I narrowed my eyes at her, choosing not to reply.

She was not discouraged by my behavior in the least; instead she continued on with her prying questions. "Did he kiss you back? Tyler and Austin said he did but Jess and I don't believe them. Did he push you away? He's always running away from us if we even drop a hint, he _must_ have pushed you away. I'm surprised to see he let you stay in his team, Swan."

Pushed to my limit, I opened my mouth to tell her to fuck off when Edward intervened. "Nurse Mallory, if you are not interested to be a part of this team, you only have to say so. There's no need to disrupt the brief."

Of course, bitch number two decided that she, too, had to voice her _extremely_ crucial thoughts. "Doctor, I am sure Lauren was not the only one talking. It takes two to chat. Swan must have talked as well."

I saw Edward's eyes flash with anger as the bitch pointed a finger at me. He said in his forced-calm voice, "Thank you for that assessment, Nurse Stanley. To me, it seems like the other one doing the talking is you. Bella didn't say anything."

Jessica glowered at my direction and then whipped her head to face Edward. "So Swan here spreads her legs for you and suddenly you're her number one fan?"

I gasped at her words._ What the fuck did this fucking bitch think she was talking about?_

I chanced a look at Edward and saw his face had darkened with anger. I wanted to go to him and calm him down. And that's exactly what I did. I did not have to be afraid to stand next to my husband when he needed me the most.

Without sparing a glance at the other people around us, I walked up to Edward and placed a hand on his shoulder. As soon as he felt me near him, he started to relax.

"Are you people seeing this? She's sleeping with the boss." Jessica's shriek popped the bubble around us.

"Jess, shut the fuck up. Enough is enough. Why are you so hell-bent on saying shit about everyone? Bella is not doing anything wrong. You and Lauren need to grow up." We all whirled around to see cute, soft-spoken and angel-like Angela shooting daggers at Jessica. _Oh, wow!_ I did a mental fist-pump for Angela.

Lauren turned on to Angela. "How can you say she's not doing anything wrong? If she's sleeping with Cullen to get a promotion or something, it's wrong."

By this point, I wasn't even sure Edward and I was visible or not. _Probably not, if they could see us, they would not be saying shit like this, would they?_

Angela raised one hand and pointed to me. "She is not using Dr. Cullen to get a promotion. She is standing by him because that's what she promised to do… when she married him. They are married, all right?"

A collective gasp came out of everyone, including myself. I looked at Edward but he shook his head, silently telling me he had no idea how Angela knew.

"What the fuck crawled into your brain, Cheney? How can you say they're married? Just look at them. They cannot be a couple. She's too shabby to even stand beside him." Jessica sneered in my direction.

"Enough!" Edward roared, effectively shutting everyone up. "If you say another word against _my wife_, Nurse Stanley, you and your friend will find your asses stapled to the station, for as long as I am at this hospital."

This time, Mike stuttered, "So Angela is right? You two are married?" He looked like someone just kicked his puppy.

I nodded. "Yes, Mike, Dr. Cullen and I are married. We've been married for a while now. Anyway, it's time to start the morning round. I say, we all get to work."

Edward gave my hand a soft squeeze and then motioned his team to follow him into the ward.

**-OTC-**

Two hours into my shift, there's a lull in the work. Since it's the holiday season, there were not many in-patients. I was about to take a coffee break when Angela came up to me. "Hey, Bella, do you wanna go get a coffee? I am about to fall asleep with so little to do."

I nodded and followed her out of the ward. As we walked to the vending machine, Angela asked casually, "So, was the friend you were talking about the other day yourself?"

In the chaotic morning I had had, I didn't immediately remember what she meant. Angela gave me a sidelong glance and elaborated. "The friend you mentioned a few months back, the one who was lusting after her husband? Was that you?"

I felt my cheeks heat up at the memory.

_This is so fucking embarrassing! Why the fuck did I go and ask this to Angela?_ I mentally chastised myself before biting my lip. Finally deciding that Angela was too much of a nice person to gossip about us, I nodded, avoiding looking at her face.

She placed a hand on my shoulder, making me look up at her. "Bella, it's okay. I get where you were coming from and I am happy if I could be of a little help to you."

I let out a sigh of relief. "You did, Ang, and you were right. The wall did hit me, hard."

She giggled at my reference to our brick-wall chat. When she is calmed down somewhat, I decided to ask the question I had been dying to ask her. "Hey, Angela, how did you know we were married?"

She snorted. "Bella, I am sorry to say but your mutual attraction has been obvious to us for a long time. Then I saw you two dance and kiss at the party. I could see the love in your eyes as you two looked at each other. And this morning, I happened to look at your ID and saw the name has been changed."

I smiled at finally getting that mystery solved.

**-OTC-**

At lunch, Edward boldly held my hand as we walked to the cafeteria and I had to admit, it felt nice to be able to call my husband by his name and not by his designation when we were on break.

When we reached the table, I saw Rose throw a menacing glare at the crowd before she asked me with concern, "B, are you all right? Jazz just told me what happened this morning."

I shrugged, not wanting to let bitchy-duo to ruin our lunch break. "I'm fine, Rose. I had Edward there with me and Angela was a big help as well."

Rose relaxed slightly and said, "As long as you're okay, B. I swear if those bitches do a thing to you, I am going to make sure that the next time they go to the plastic surgeon, they need a nose-job instead of a boob-job."

I laughed at the vicious look on her face and bumped her shoulder with mine. "Deal. Now relax, Rose-lee."

She cracked a smile at the pet name I had given her the first time she said she was going to grow up and be Bruce Lee.

Just as we were getting up to get back to work, Rose waved at me. "Catch you later, Swan."

I grinned at Rose and clucked my tongue. "Nope, it's Cullen now, Hale."

She sat up straight and eyed my new badge before smiling at me. "Thank fuck, you two got your heads out of your asses."

Rolling my eyes at her overdramatic tendency, I walked away.

**-OTC-**

It wasn't until the end of our shift when the actual confrontation took place. I had just come out of Edward's office after getting his signature on some prescriptions, when I felt a presence behind me. Thinking it could be a patient in wheelchair or someone who might be in a hurry, I moved to stand by the far wall of the corridor, giving them the way to go on.

However, before I could know what was happening, I found myself slammed into the wall with someone pushing against my back, effectively trapping me in between themselves and the wall.

I tried to move my face, wanting to see what was going on when I felt the assailant's breath in my ear. "You fucking bitch! What do you think you're playing at? He's mine. MINE! You get that? You can't have him."

_That voice! I know that voice. It's Dr. James Wood. What is he talking about?_

I tried to move my face so that it did not get smashed against the wall, but he twisted my arm back toward him, apparently not liking my movement.

A groan of pain escaped my mouth as I tried to talk to him. "Dr. Wood? What are you doing? What is the meaning of this? What have I done?"

He grabbed a handful of my hair, bringing my head back so that he could see my face. Then he sneered at me. "You don't know what you have done? You have stolen the man I love, you bitch."

_What the fuck? Does he mean Edward? James has a crush on Edward?_

As my brain processed his lunatic ravings, I had to suppress my urge to laugh at inappropriate moments. Judging by the way his breath stank, he was drunk and snorting while a drunken doctor professed his love for your husband was _not_ an intelligent thing to do.

"James? Who are you…? Oh shit, Bella?" Edward's panicked voice came from somewhere behind me. _He must have come out to check on his patients before the shift is over._

I felt James being pulled off of my back and then I was surrounded by Edward's arms as he tried to check me for possible injuries. He cupped my face in his hands and asked me, "Bella, love, are you all right? You're not hurt, are you?"

I started to shake my head when James' screaming voice came to us. "Love? Why are you calling that bitch 'love,' Eddie? Leave her. I have been in love with you since the day you started working here and now this bitch thinks she can steal you away from me? I won't let that happen. You're mine, Edward."

Edward's eyes widened as he realized what James had been trying to say. He gave me a confounded look and then cleared his throat. "James, what are you saying? Did someone slip something in your drink?"

James came and almost shoved me away from Edward before standing up to him, toe-to-toe. "Oh, so when all the slutty nurses and pharmacists flock around you, it's okay, but when I say that I love you, you think I am drunk?"

Edward gulped before stepping away from James. "Seriously, man, I am flattered that you think that, but I am into girls, well _this_ girl." He pointed at me helplessly. "Bella is my wife, James."

James opened his mouth, probably about to spew out another round of profanities at me when he was yanked back. I looked behind him and saw Dr. Farrell and Dr. Volturi standing there, holding on to him.

Dr. Volturi sniffed at James' lab coat and let out a whistle. "He smells like a distillery, Stephen. Maybe Woods should be taken off duty for the night," he suggested.

Dr. Farrell looked at Edward and then me. He gave me a slight nod and asked, "Isabella, are you all right?" I managed to murmur that I was fine. Then he turned to face Edward. "Cullen, did he do anything? Do you want to file any complaints?"

Edward shook his head. "No, he didn't do anything to me but he insulted Bella, repeatedly, and he attacked her. I would like to press complaints on Bella's behalf." I tried to protest but Edward shot me a look that told me to shut the fuck up and for once in my life, I listened to him.

**-OTC-**

It was not until we were safely inside his car when Edward let me see his frustration. "Urgh! What a day. The way people were reacting, you would think we were celebrities or some shit."

I placed my hand on his shoulder and started to rub it gently, trying to help him unwind. As I felt his knotted muscles relax, I asked him, "So what did the board of directors say about James?"

He rolled his eyes at me. "They asked him about his repeated mistakes in the past few months and then about showing up drunk and attacking a co-worker. You know what the fucker said in his defense?"

I snorted. "What? That I stole his boyfriend from him? I still can't believe James has a thing for you. All this time I had seen the guy, I never could've guess he was trying to get into your pants."

Edward groaned at my teasing. "Baby, please, whatever you do, do _not_ tell Em about this. He'll have a field day with this."

After I had crossed my heart and promised not to tell Em about it, he told me about James' defense. Apparently, he got so nervous around Edward that he messed up his cases whenever Edward was near him.

About attacking me, James had only one thing to say, I had stolen Edward from him and that's the reason why he attacked me in the hallway. _I cannot believe he had the guts to say that shit to the board of directors!_

After Edward had finished cursing James for calling him 'pretty,' I asked curiously, "So what happens now?"

Edward shrugged one shoulder. "Well, James has been put on an obligatory sabbatical for two weeks for assaulting you. But the way he was raving about not having anything left here if I was indeed married, I think he will be moving soon, or at least need a longer time off."

**-OTC-**

As it turned out, James indeed moved to New York, where he had gotten a job offer months ago, but had been procrastinating because of Edward.

Before leaving, he had come to apologize to me for his behavior and then he gave me a short speech on how lucky I was. _Like I needed to be told!_

He even asked to see Edward before leaving, which Edward wanted to decline but I made him change his mind. After all, the man was leaving for good with a broken heart, this was the least he could do. But seeing that he had placed a kiss on Edward's lips before taking off, he probably got more than he expected.

Of course, Edward had declared he felt thoroughly violated by James' eye-fucking, which could only be remedied by taking me on the kitchen counter. Now who the fuck was I to say no to such a brilliant stipulation? So I let him do exactly that.

By the end of that week, Jessica and Lauren had tried to file complaints of favoritism against Edward for recruiting me. What their soap-suds-filled-heads failed to grasp was that Edward did not recruit me. Hell, he wasn't in this hospital when I joined.

So their plan backfired and their in-charge Nursing Supervisor, Emily Young, gave them two options: either they apologized to me and promised to refrain from raising such false accusations in the future, or they could get transferred to a separate department.

They took the easy way out and got transferred—to the venereal diseases—saving us all the trouble of dealing with their air-heads in the future.

Everything was falling in place, everything was perfectly wonderful. I had a great job which I enjoyed very much, I had a husband whom I was madly in love with, and who loved me right back, and we were truly and blissfully happy.

**A/N: First off, let me just clarify that I have nothing against homosexuality. The James thing was simply because I thought poor Edward deserved to have James crushing on him and not Bella for a change. ;)**

**So, let me know your thoughts and leave a review, please?**

**The song I listened to while writing this chapter is Shooting Star by Owl City.**

**In case you haven't seen it yet, I published a new one-shot name "Trust Me, Love Me." If you want to, you can give it a try and maybe leave me a review? Pretty please?**

**Take care.**

**Ann**


	44. Chapter- 44: Bottomless Love

**Disclaimer: No copyrights infringement intended. I don't own Twilight saga or any of its awesome characters.**

**A/N: Thanks to everyone who has reviewed, favorited, put on alert or simply... read OTC. You guys make my days a little bit brighter. Thank you.**

**Enjoy Chapter-44 and I'll see you at the end of this chapter! :-)**

**Chapter- 44: Bottomless Love**

**EPOV**

"Cullen! You gotta help me out." I stopped in mid-laughter and snapped my head up to see Dr. Ellis standing at Bella's desk in our ward.

"What is it, Dr. Ellis?" I asked, wondering why he would seek my help while he could easily seek help from Dr. Farrell, who specialized in cardio-thoracic diseases.

He clapped my shoulder and looked at Bella. "I meant the pharmacist Cullen, not the doctor. You know I feel sorry for the people in your ward, Edward. They must get confused a lot—with you two Cullens and the two Cheneys."

I grinned because no matter how much confusion it caused people, it was always good to hear people address my wife by _my_ last name. _Yeah, I am a caveman for thinking like that but I really cannot give two shits about that._ I gave my subconscious the finger before it could rear its righteous head.

Bella stood up from her seat and said to Ellis, "Sure, Dr. Ellis. I am free at the moment. What do you need?"

The elderly man beamed at her and nodded his head. "There's a responsible girl. Isabella, I got a new pharmacist in my ward. The boy has soap bubbles for brain, I'm quite certain of it. I really have no time to tell him why on earth we need to monitor a patient on Digoxin for CHF needs to be monitored. I am about to choke Eleazar for hiring that witless wonder. I am actually missing Yorkie right now."

Bella gave him a sympathetic smile and looked at me. "Dr. Cullen, I don't think there shall be any issue for the next half hour, but in case something comes up, will you please have someone page me?"

I agreed and wished her luck. She rolled her eyes at me and went to look for the 'witless wonder'. I must have stared at her back—or if I am being honest, her very delectable ass— for Ellis to notice it.

His snicker brought me back out of my fantasies and to the present and I quirked an eyebrow, trying to look indifferent. He clapped my shoulder once again and said, "She calls you 'Dr. Cullen'? I thought you married the girl."

I gave a fake-huff at his obnoxiousness. "We _are_ married. She just wants to be professional while we're at work."

He looked thoughtfully and nodded. "Your girl is one hell of a pharmacist. I like professionalism. It is so rare in the younger generations. Good for you, Cullen."

I just smiled and thanked him, all the while thinking, "_You don't know the main reason, old man. This has nothing to do with professionalism. She just knows how much I _love_ hearing her call me Dr. Cullen._"

**-OTC-**

While Bella was attending to the witless guy, I found myself sitting opposite to Jasper in my office.

He bit his fingernail, opened his mouth, closed it, tapped his fingers on the table top, opened his mouth again and then closed it again.

After seeing him repeat the whole cycle three times, I decided to break the silence.

"I really hope you washed your hand after you checked the lady in bed-18 for lesions, she is here due to an adverse drug reaction, but originally she was admitted to the skin clinic. She has scabies." My matter-of-fact words made his eyes widen, then spit on air several times, coughing and choking, and then relax back in his chair.

_Allie finds this dick-head charming?_

As if he could hear my thoughts, he grinned widely. "I just remembered—I did wash my hands."

I wanted to do an eye-roll and say 'thank fuck' just like Bella would do with her sarcasm but I resisted. Because even though this guy was dating my little sister, he had become a friend of mine. So, I asked him, "All right, so why are you pissing your pants? What's up, Hale?"

He looked thoughtful for a second, as if thinking of the best way to voice his worries and then blurted out, "I love Alice."

I finally gave in and rolled my eyes.

_What a shocker!_

"I think everyone can guess that by looking at your shit-eating grin whenever you see her." When he continued to look worried, I tried to help him out and asked, "Does Alice know that?"

He smiled at the sound of Alice's name and said, "Yes, she does. I told her a long time ago. I actually wanted to tell you something else."

I motioned with my hands to say 'I am all ears' and waited for him to gather his thoughts. And then he took a deep breath and looked at me. His face had a mask of determination when he said, "I am going to ask Alice to marry me, tomorrow. I am not asking for your blessing, I just hope this doesn't put a strain in our friendship."

I just stared at him, feeling completely speechless.

Jasper shrugged one shoulder and continued, "Alice really values your opinion and I have started to consider you as not only Bella's husband or my resident but my friend, as well. And so I hope you will not be against it… if Alice says yes."

Shaking my head at his little speech, I smiled. "So maybe I should get used to the idea of having you around longer, huh, _brother_?"

Jasper gave me a relieved smile, and I chuckled, thinking back to his worried expression. I ached my eyebrows and said, "I think of you as a friend too, Jasper. And if I find that a guy loves my sister like I do Bella then all I can do is to wish you two a happy life. Good luck for tomorrow."

He thanked me and stood up. As he was about to exit the room, I called back, "Jasper, I don't think you need the '_if_', she'll say yes, I'm sure."

**-OTC-**

"Are you gonna tell me why you are smiling like that?" Bella poked my side and asked me.

I slowed down walking and looked at my beautiful wife, all huddled up in her sweater and jeans, as she snuggled into me.

Wrapping my arm around her, I brought her close to me and placed a kiss on the tip of her nose, making her giggle lightly. "Your nose is cold. Maybe we should've just stayed home," I said.

Bella vigorously shook her head. "No way, this is our first valentine's day. I wouldn't have missed this movie date with you even for a steaming mug of hot chocolate. Thank you for taking me out, baby."

I smiled at her and said, "You're welcome, love. I was worried you would be too tired to go out after work."

She smiled back at me and replied, "I don't think I can be too tired to enjoy my date with my man."

I arched an eyebrow and asked her, "Did you enjoy the movie?"

She nodded and then grinned at me. "Uh-huh. I did. I enjoyed it a lot. Though I have absolutely no idea what it was about. The whole time I was in there, my husband kept stealing kisses from me."

I offered her my crooked smile, the one she had confessed to love, and winked. "I'll let you in on a secret. I don't have a clue either. All I could think about was the sexy girl sitting beside me, and then wanting to kiss her."

She laughed at my flirty words and asked, "Are we becoming one of those typical nauseatingly sappy couples?"

Bringing her closer to my chest, I inhaled the smell of her strawberry shampoo and then placed a kiss on her forehead. I felt her body melting with mine, and said, "I don't mind being typically sappy for you. Because I love you."

She lifted her face up to meet my lips and I whispered, "Besides, kissing makes your lips look swollen and very, very delectable."

She giggled into the kiss and elbowed me lightly, murmuring "Pervert," before allowing me to open the door of my Vanquish for her.

As I drove towards our home, I said a quick prayer so that her gift should be in place when we got there.

**-OTC-**

As I pulled into the garage, Bella grabbed my hand, making me stop the car. I turned to see her face and saw that she was frowning. "What is it, baby?" I asked her.

Her frown deepened as she pointed to the parking spot right next to mine. "Did you rent out the spot after we put my truck in storage? There's a red car sitting there."

_It's here. Thank you God!_

Trying to get a good look at the car in question, I craned my neck to look at the glossy midnight blue car. When I had asked Alice to help me pick out a car, she had kept badgering me to pick a red one. But I wanted this car to be exactly what my girl would like and I know she loves blue more than red. So I went with the blue one.

Hearing the sound of the car door being unlocked, I turned to look at Bella, but she was already out of the car and marching towards Alec. I quickly got out and followed her.

"Alec, whose car is this? This parking space is ours. I don't think Edward would have rented it out without telling me about it." I could hear the irritation in her voice.

I put one arm around her and held onto her waist, trying to calm her down. It seemed to work. She sighed before facing me.

I decided to let poor Alec off the hook and smiled at her. "Baby, this is _your_ car. Happy Valentine's Day, Mrs. Cullen," I said softly.

Her eyes widened as soon as my words hit home. She stared at the car open-mouthed and then at me, for a few moments before gulping.

Already knowing she was preparing a list of why that was an over-the-top gift; I gave her a slight squeeze before stepping away and going back to park my car. If she was going to say something, I preferred it to be in the privacy of our home.

**-OTC-**

During the elevator ride, Bella remained silent.

After I had closed the door behind her, I turned to face her, already prepared with my own stock of reasons why she needed the car.

I waited for her to start arguing with me, but nothing came. Instead, she stood on her tiptoes and kissed me, once, twice, and another time, before laying her head down on my chest.

I was absolutely clueless as to what could be going through her head when she looked up at me. "Thank you for the car," she said, "Though it is totally unnecessary, not to mention very ostentatious, but thank you. I may not know which brand it is, I know you bought it for me because you love me and want me to have the best of everything, so thank you, for loving me."

A startled laughter escaped my lips as I held onto her chin to look into her eyes. "Just when I think I can read you like an open book, you completely fascinate me with your way of thinking, baby."

She bit her lip and frowned, as if trying to figure out something and then she asked me, "Am I really that bad about gifts?"

I chuckled before leaning down to kiss her pout away. "No, baby, I was just worried you'd think this one a bit over-the-top."

She started nodding her head slowly and I continued to stop her protest, "This one is for every valentine's day we could have had, if we had not been separated years ago."

She snorted and poked my nose with her index finger. "All right, Smirky, you don't need to find any more excuses for this. I told you I love it, and I love you. Thank you."

Breathing a sigh of relief, I started prattling off the various features of the car. "This is a Mercedes. It's a convertible. The horsepower is pretty awesome. It can…"

Bella cut me off by placing a finger on my lips and then she said, "Edward, you know I don't know jack about cars. It looks pretty cool and if you stop bragging about it and allow me to give you my gift, I promise that we can take it to work tomorrow, for a test drive."

I grinned unabashedly at her, because I was totally bragging. Feeling excited to see what she had gotten me, I gestured with my hand to let her know she can go ahead and give me her gift.

Taking my hand in hers, she led me to our bedroom and then gave me a little push to tell me to sit on the bed. After I had sat down, she went to her old room only to return with a rectangular wrapped package in her hand. She smiled shyly at me before holding the thing out to me.

Feeling like a little boy on Christmas morning, I took it from her and started to tear open the package. When the paper had fallen off the surface, I could see a black leather-bound book in there.

_She got me a book? For Valentine's day? Hmm, maybe it's a copy of the Kama Sutra?_ I wonder silently.

My subconscious sneered at my line of thinking. _Yeah, right. Can you see Bella walking into a bookstore and buying a copy of Kama Sutra, you horny fucker?_

The stupid shit was right. There was no way in hell that my shy bride will just march into a bookstore and buy _that_ book for me. I turned over the book but found no name written on either side of it.

Bella must have felt my confusion, because she placed her hand on mine and said softly, "Open it."

I did and felt my love for this woman fill up my heart.

_How can she find something so sweet and thoughtful for me?_

As it turned out, the book was a scrapbook of us. Every page was filled with pictures of Bella and me. The first one was of my parents holding me, right after I was born. The next one was of me holding Bella's hand as she looked at me from my mom's arms—the day she was born. There were many pictures of us playing and smiling and laughing as we grew up, until the one where Bella was clutching me tightly to herself while I was hugging her to my chest with equal vigor.

"This was the day you left for England. I got these from our moms. They had all these photos hidden from us, trying to spare us the hurt of remembering the best friend we had lost." Bella's whispered words brought me out of my thoughts.

I set the book down on the bed before kissing her lips softly. Then I cupped her face in my hands and asked in amazement, "How on earth did you do this, Bellarina?"

She smiled and shrugged. "It wasn't too hard. I got these photos when we went to Forks for the holidays. The other pictures were taken by Rosalie; she helped me to re-create the perfect replica of our married life." When I frowned in confusion, she pointed to the book, telling me to continue my perusal.

As I looked through the book, I found pictures of Bella and me at the bar, standing with gin-and-tonics in our hands—the replication of our first meeting, then there was our wedding pictures, candid shots taken at work. _This must have taken her quite some time to make._

When I reached empty pages, she said softly, "These are for the rest of our lives, together."

I closed the book, placed it on the bedside cabinet, and pulled Bella on my lap. I nuzzled my face against her neck and said, "I love it, baby. This is the best present ever. Thank you, love."

She giggled before pulling her head back to look into my eyes. She shoved some of my hair from my forehead and placed a kiss there, and then she asked, "You really like it?"

I hummed in agreement before moving my hands to rest on her ass and squeezing lightly. She shivered at the contact and I grinned.

_She's ready for her second gift._

I rubbed her thighs with both of my hands and whispered, "How about I show you how much I love this gift? I have something for you."

She immediately drew back from my lips and eyed me dubiously. "You got me that big-ass car and now you have something _else_ for me? Are you serious?"

I smirked at her, wondering how she'd react and said, "I am completely serious. Don't worry; this is as much for me as it is for you. Besides, it is so small, it can hardly be called a thing."

She narrowed her eyes at me and asked, "What did you_ do_, Edward?"

Taking a deep breath, I reached inside my bedside cabinet and pulled out the bag I had managed to keep hidden from her for the last few weeks. She took it from me, lifted the lid, cleared off the tissue papers and then stared, before launching into a giggle-fest.

_What the fuck?_

**BPOV**

No matter how much I tried to stop my giggles, they just kept pouring out of my mouth. After a few moments, I managed to choke out, "C-crotch-less panties? You got me crotch-less panties for Valentine's?"

Edward looked bewildered by my giggle-fest and started stammering, "Ye-yeah, you are always laughing at the Chandler guy and I saw that episode where he tries to make these and so I-I thought you'd like them… as a joke, of course!"

I finally took pity on my poor husband and tried to ease his worries. "Edward, I may like Chandler as a comic character, but I _love_ you. You don't need to do anything like this to make me love you. I already do. All right?"

He smiled at me and nodded.

Suddenly an idea popped into my head, feigning exhaustion, I got up from the bed and yawned before saying, "I am dog-tired. Why don't you get ready for bed while I wash up in the next room?"

I could practically feel his dejection as he stood up. But because he was a gentleman, Edward didn't say anything to contradict me; he simply kissed my lips once more before walking into the bathroom.

Feeling like a naughty girl, I picked up my _gift_ and then went to my old room to change into the surprise I had planned for Edward. After slipping on the red baby doll I had purchased from Victoria's Secret, I pondered over the matching boy shorts that came with it, but then it would be impolite to let my dear husband's gift go to waste now, wouldn't it? So, leaving the boy shorts inside the VS box, I put on the panties he got me which were thankfully—red as well. Then I tiptoed back to our bedroom and slipped under the covers.

_And now, we wait._

**-OTC-**

With my eyes closed and my back facing the bathroom, I heard the bathroom door open and close. There's silence for a moment before a low sigh, and then I heard the sound of his feet walking towards the bed.

_He must have thought I really am too tired to appreciate his gift, _I thought impishly.

I felt the duvet being raised before the bed dipped beside me, telling me that he was now settling in for the night. I waited a few more seconds before slowly moving my leg, making it rub against his calf.

_Hmm, he's wearing his sweatpants. Those need to go, soon._

My eyes were still closed as I turned slightly to face him and in the process, managed to move my foot higher so that now it was touching his thigh. A soft-spoken curse fell from his lips before Edward tried to move his leg away from my wandering foot. Of course I couldn't let him do that. So, pretending to be asleep, I grabbed on to his t-shirt and snuggled into his chest.

As soon as his arms encircled me, I decided to give up the game and placed a kiss on his chest.

A startled chuckle sounded from above me before he used his fingers to tip my head back and looked into my now wide-open eyes. He started to open his mouth when finally the fact that his hand was rubbing my skin—without clothes—seemed to register in his mind.

Arching an eyebrow, he moved the duvet covering both of us and looked at me. His eyes widened before his lips turned up at the corners to create that damn sexy smirk. "I thought you were tired, Mrs. Cullen?" he asked me, while looking me up and down.

I tried to match his smirk, leaned in closer and whispered in his ear while brushing my lips against his skin, "I couldn't let your gift go unused now, could I?"

With a sharp intake of breath he stared at me, seemingly speechless, and then asked in a hoarse voice, "You… you're wearing it?"

I let out a murmur of confirmation before taking his hand in mine and placing it right under the hem of my baby doll, silently telling him to check it out, if he wanted to.

"Christ! You're perfect," he exclaimed in a low voice and then proceeded to take in the way the see-through fabric flowed over my body before raising the hem and looking at the panties I was wearing.

He cursed again. Then placing his hands on my thighs, he started to rub them slowly and sensually. A shiver ran through my body and I grabbed a handful of his t-shirt, bringing his lips to mine.

I could feel his hunger as he kissed me passionately, caressing any and every bit of my skin his hands could reach. I drew his body completely on top of mine, and wrapping my legs around his hips, returned his kisses with equal fervor.

He moved his kisses downwards and soon, I found myself topless as he kissed and sucked on my breasts, making me moan loudly.

Finding him overdressed, I clawed at his t-shirt, causing him to chuckle at my impatience and then together we pulled it over his head and flung it behind him.

As I ran my hands over his perfect chest, Edward panted against my neck, saying softly, "Bella, baby, I want to take care of you tonight. Let me, love."

I could feel his fingers on the edge of my panties and realized what he wanted. This was something he had done only a handful of times and I was still not sure if he liked it or not. But as I looked into his intense emerald eyes, I knew I would've agreed to anything he wanted from me.

He must have read the consent in my face, because the next thing I knew, I was lying on my back with his head in between my thighs. He gave me a crooked smile before dropping his head down and placing a kiss right there.

"Oh fuck, Edward!" I cursed out involuntarily and felt him grin against me. And then he grabbed my thighs in both his hands and parted them to get better access, before doing sinfully exquisite things to me.

I could feel myself right at the edge of the cliff when I heard him call my name, and I made the mistake of looking at him.

Let me tell you something, there is nothing—I repeat no-fucking-thing—as sexy as the sight of your man staring at you from between your legs while your hands are gripping his hair for dear life. So of course, I jumped off the cliff. I could hear myself screaming his name as I let go but couldn't help it.

When I came down from my high, I opened my eyes and found him hovering over me, looking extremely proud of himself. I threw my arms around his neck and held him to me before asking, "Why are you looking like you won a fucking noble prize?"

He raised an eyebrow at me and smirked. "I don't know about noble but fucking prize is a pretty apt name for what I won. It is a huge ego boost to see my girl writhing under me while she screamed my name."

I scoffed as if what he described hadn't just taken place. And then before he could say something else, I tightened my grip on his shoulders and rolled us over, trapping him underneath me.

He looked at me in surprise as I straddled his hips. Bending forward, I kissed the corner of his mouth and said, "I bet I can make _you_ scream _my_ name even louder."

A groan escaped his mouth as his hands roved from my back to rest on my butt. He clutched me to his hips and grinded while whispering, "Do your worst, baby. It's a win-win for me anyway."

Smiling at the already hard part of him, I sashayed down to sit just above his knees and then peeled his sweatpants and boxers slowly from his body. He lifted his hips to help me out and soon he was lying gloriously naked as I sucked on his Adam's apple, in just my underwear.

As I peppered his chest with kisses, my open crotch rubbed against his hip bone, making him moan softly. A sudden animalistic pride went through my body as the sound reached my ears and I bit lightly on his nipple.

"Holy fuck, baby! Are you trying to kill me?" he almost growled in my ear, and I giggled before kissing the spot.

"Nope, I am just trying to make you appreciate how _wildly_ I love you," I breathed.

I heard him mutter something that sounded like '_wild cat_' as I continued on my way to the Promised Land. When I finally took him in my hands and placed an open-mouthed kiss on the tip, he grunted loudly.

After a few minutes of my _explorations_ and his grunts and moans, I could feel my control slipping. I straightened up to look into his face and found his beautiful eyes almost begging me for a release.

I moved him across the opening of my panties, letting him feel the effect he was having on me and when his hands grabbed my hips, I took him in me. A collective moan came out of both our mouths as he filled me. Waiting for few seconds to just feel him intimately, I started to move.

I could feel my the tell-tale tightening in my stomach as I moved up and down him, letting him guide me moves with his grasp on my hips. I let my hands fall on top of his chest and leaned down to kiss him, making my hair drag across his stomach and chest in the process.

"Shit, love, I can't—I can't hold on much longer," he grunted in my ears. My answering whimper told him that I was right there with him. Suddenly his hand disappeared from my hip, but before I could protest, it came down to rub me just as his puckered lips took one of my nipples in his mouth.

It was fucking sensory overload and I couldn't hold on any longer. My climax set him off and then he was groaning and shouting my name as I felt him release inside me.

**-OTC-**

It was almost midnight when I could catch my breath. I moved from his chest to lie down on the bed and then teased him, "You screamed louder. I win."

Edward scoffed and said, "No way. You were the louder one. But just so that it doesn't make you feel bad, I am willing to share the win with you."

I laughed at his placating tone and asked the question that had been on my mind from the moment I laid eyes on my gift, "Did you go to Victoria's Secret to buy these for me?"

He looked at me as if I had grown two heads and replied, "Are you crazy? You think I have the nerve to go lingerie shopping?"

_Oh God! Don't tell me he asked Emmett to do this._

My wide-eyed stare made him explain quickly, "I did not ask anyone to pick it up either. I bought it online. There are some perks of growing up with Alice."

"Oh, good," I said before laying my head on his chest.

His hand came up to move through my hair when I smirked at him. "Since the gift gave some pretty impressive results, maybe I should buy some more like this one?"

His hand stilled in my hair and he brought my lips to his. After smacking a loud kiss on me, he grinned, "Crotch-less, bottomless, topless—I don't care; I love you every way, baby."

Grinning against his lips, I mumbled, "Hmm. That opens up a whole bunch of possibilities, baby. It's a good thing we have a long time to go through all of it."

He let me tuck my head in the crook of his neck and pulled the duvet over us, and then he whispered softly, "We'll have forever, love, because I will love you forever."

_Forever with Edward sounded just perfect._

**A/N: So…? Thoughts?**

**I love to know what you think, so leave me a review, please?**

**The song I listened to while writing this chapter: Insatiable by Darren Hayes.**

**Until next time.**

**Take care.**

**Ann**


	45. Chapter- 45: When The Cookie Doesn't Com

**Disclaimer: No copyrights infringement intended. I don't own Twilight saga or any of its awesome characters.**

**A/N: Thanks to everyone who has reviewed, favorited, put on alert or simply... read OTC. You guys make my days a little bit brighter. Thank you.**

**Enjoy Chapter-45 and I'll see you at the end of this chapter! :-)**

**Chapter- 45: When The Cookie Doesn't Come To You**

**BPOV**

You know the expression that if you can love someone forever one bad day accounts for nothing? Well, that was my Grandma Swan's perspective. I had started to believe she was right when suddenly I started felling a little bit of emptiness in my heart.

It all started with the phone call I got the day after Valentine's—from Alice. The moment I had picked up the call, I wished I could go back in time and put on ear plugs before answering the damn thing.

Apparently, when already-hyper Alice gets engaged, she becomes too-fucking-excited-that-it-gets-on-your-nerve-type hyper.

Yes, as it turned out, Jasper finally picked up his guts from the floor and popped the big question. The kid's been a mess over how to propose to Alice since we came back from Forks after the holidays.

Hopefully, his usually calm demeanor will help Alice relax a little bit. I felt happy for my sister-in-law and my pseudo-brother.

_They make a very cute couple_, I said to myself, but in the back of my mind, something was nagging at me. I just had to figure out what that was about.

**-OTC-**

As I started to spend hours on the phone with Alice every night, helping her out with the wedding planning, I chalked my uneasiness up to PMS.

_Aunt Flo can be a real bitch._

It wasn't until a month later when I realized what the fuck was messing with my brain.

I was standing by the nurses' station, transcribing a prescription for Edward, when I felt someone grab my arm.

Turning around, I expected to see Edward and was surprised to see Rosalie instead.

One look at her, and I immediately felt like the worst friend ever for not noticing the changes in my best friend.

There were dark circles under her usually bright blue eyes; her rosy cheeks looked hollowed, her lips were pale and for once, I realized makeup hadn't been able to help my friend. She looked like she has been hung over for some time.

_You self-absorbed ass, you didn't even notice your best friend losing her usual liveliness!"_ I chastised myself.

I must have gawked at her for longer than I thought because she raised an eyebrow at me. Then in a tone that was uncharacteristically soft for Rosalie Hale, she asked, "B, I need to talk to you. Can you get away for a little bit?"

I looked at the almost finished paper in my hand and nodded. Signaling her to wait for a second, I dashed toward Edward's room, dropped off the paper, came back to Rose and then threaded my arm through hers.

She allowed me to drag her with me to the vending machine at the floor and waited patiently while I bought a latte. When I offered her to get one for her, she simply shook her head.

Equipped with my elixir, I faced my friend and guiltily said, "Rose, I'm so sorry. I've been a terrible friend, haven't I?"

She frowned at my question and asked, "What the hell are you talking about, Bell? You are my best friend, you know that."

I grimaced as another bout of guilt hit me. "No, I'm not. You are clearly going through some rough shit and I have failed to notice it till this morning, when _you_ came to find_ me_. Tell me, how does that not make me a crappy best friend?"

With an amused glint in her eyes, she asked, "What type of rough shit do you think I am going through?"

I tried to remember if there was something happening with her at the hospital but came up empty. _So the shit must be with her personal life. Emmett? Holy fuck, it's Emmett._

As soon as the thought hit me, my eyes widened and I hissed, "It's Emmett, isn't it? He has done something. Come on, Rose, you know he's a big teddy bear. Don't take what Em did to heart."

She laughed at my rambling and said, "Well, I did not take what he did to me to my heart. It took it someplace else." And then she winked at me.

I looked at her as if she had grown two heads and snarked, "Hale, stop being a horny mess for a minute and just tell me what's bothering you."

She rolled her eyes at me and said with a broad smile, "I'm pregnant. Em wanted to tell everyone together but I just couldn't hold off anymore. I just got back the results of my blood work and it's confirmed. You're gonna be an aunt!"

I gaped at her smiling face and tried to wrap my brain around what she was saying. After a few seconds, I finally sputtered out, "Aunt? You're pregnant? Seriously?"

Looking like a smug bitch, she nodded and said, "Yep. It wasn't planned, but it happened, and now I couldn't be happier about it. You're the first one to know, besides Em and I."

_Oh thank God! She's not dying_, I thought, _I can't believe Rose Hale becoming so invested in a relationship that an unplanned pregnancy isn't scaring the crap out of her._

Joining in on her happiness, I hugged my best friend and squealed out congratulations before asking her the million dollar question. "Rose," I asked, "How does Emmett feel about this? Are you guys gonna get married now?"

She shrugged and smiled at me. "Em is over the moon. He started looking at baby stuff online since we got the pregnancy tests done at home. And we can get married anytime we want. I don't think we should get married because of the baby. When he feels like it's the right time, he'll ask."

"And?" I prompted.

She shrugged again and replied, "And what? If he asks, I'll say yes. But not just because we are having a kid together, only because I love that fucker."

I elbowed her slightly and teased, "Better keep a lid on that potty mouth, Ro. You don't want your kid's first word to be 'fucker' now, do you?"

She shook her head and in an utterly serious voice said, "Oh no, my kid's first word will be dick."

As soon as the words escaped her mouth, we both burst into laughter. Before I could come up with something even more outrageous, her pager went off and she grunted, "That bitch! Victoria's paging me, probably to help her pick shit off the floor. Catch ya later, B."

I hollered from behind, "Congrats again, girl!" making her giggle, before waving at her and heading off toward my own ward.

**-OTC-**

That night while I was cooking dinner and listening to Edward hum to himself as he played with the miniature piano I gave him, I finally realized what the fuck was wrong with me. I felt stuck. Well, not stuck as in unable to move my feet, but stuck in the motions of life.

It had been over six months since Edward and I got married and we were very comfortable around each other. Don't get me wrong, I loved the fact that we knew every little thing about each other. But the whole speech he had made about what we could have been, had stuck with me.

I mentally ticked off what we had accomplished.

In these past few months, Edward had become my best friend. He had wooed me, asked me out, and taken me on so many dates. He told me he loves me. He made me fall in love with him. He had made good on all those promises.

_Is it too much to ask that he did the last thing as well?_

This few months, I had been so blissfully happy that what my heart was craving for didn't register to me until I saw my friends moving ahead. I swear I was not jealous of my friends. In fact, I was incredibly happy for all of them. But listening to Alice prattle about her upcoming wedding and seeing Rose look so happy to be starting a family of her own made me want to have those as well, very fucking much.

I knew what Edward and I had, was much more concrete; it was a marriage full of love. And honestly, I couldn't ask for a better future than the one I could see with Edward beside me. But the past… that bothered me.

I wanted our marriage to be based on love. I wanted our wedding day be full of smiles and stolen kisses and sly touches. I wanted to promise myself to Edward before the world and everyone in it, not because our parents wanted me to, but because I couldn't imagine a life without him in it.

Most important of all, I wanted Edward down on one knee with a ring in his hand as he looked adoringly up at me. I wanted him to ask me to marry him. I wanted to scream like a maniac, or cry like a hormonal idiot as I threw my arms around him, shouting yes so many times that it started to sound like parseltongue. But I could not do any of that. Because the man I was so desperately in love with was completely oblivious to my heart's yearnings.

_What the fuck should I do?_

**EPOV**

Something was wrong, very wrong. Something was bothering my wife. I could feel it in the soft sighs she let out when she thought she was alone in the kitchen or the vacant expression on her face as she sat at her desk at work.

No, it wasn't something at work, nor was it something I did—for a change—I think. Because if it was my doing, she would not be making my tea in the morning, or kissing me sweetly before getting out of the car at work, or cooking dinner for me as I fiddled with my piano. Most of all, she wouldn't allow me to worship her perfect body every night, if she was pissed off at me.

She was not being inattentive to me—not in the slightest—she loved me and was always showing me with her words or actions. There was no power on earth that could make me doubt her love for me now. _So it must be something else._

About a month ago, when Emmett came over to tell us that he and Rosalie was officially an engaged couple, I had seen her eyes dart toward me before going back to my cousin as she smiled and congratulated him. That was the first time I caught the sadness in her eyes.

The following weeks, I had watched closely as she became more and more thoughtful and despondent with each day. _This shit, whatever it is, must be something big._

It was now past the middle of April and I was driving to home from work, alone.

Emmett had to go to Chicago for a project this week and Bella had decided to get off her shift early to accompany Rosalie to her doctor's appointment. Now as I drove for home with Mexican take out on the passenger seat beside me, I hoped that a little break from cooking will make her smile.

_I missed seeing her smile widely as her eyes shone brightly into mine._

**-OTC-**

Opening the door carefully with one hand while balancing the food with the other one, I stepped into our home and stopped dead in my tracks. There were no lights on. I closed the door and then took out my phone from my pocket to check the time. 7.43p.m.

_Where on earth is Bella?_

I slowly walked in the general direction of the kitchen, felt around for the kitchen counter and placed the bags on it. Then I switched on the lights and started looking for my wife.

When I walked inside the library, I felt my heart clench at the sight before me. There, curled up on the recliner, wearing my shirt and what looked like just a pair of panties, was my wife—with a book lying on her chest as she slept. _So beautiful._

I felt my lips pull into a smile as I tiptoed toward her and placed a kiss on her forehead.

As if she could sense me, her eyebrows lifted slightly and she mumbled softly in her sleep, "Edward, love you." My heart swelled with love for this exquisite creature and I couldn't help but gather her up in my arms and start toward our room.

_If she slept like this, she'll not be able to move her neck when she wakes up_, I thought.

However, before I could leave the room with her, I felt her grip on my shirt tighten and then she opened those beautiful eyes of hers and gasped. "Edward, when did you come home? I was just waiting for you. I don't know when I fell asleep. Oh God! How late is it? I need to start dinner."

She struggled to get down from my arms but I kept her there and leaned down to kiss her passionately. "I missed you at work today," I murmured, letting my lips linger on hers.

She chuckled and rolled her eyes. "I just left an hour early; I was there the whole day with you."

I kissed her again and then said, "An hour is a long time when you're not there."

She snorted and tapped the tip of my nose with her finger before saying, "You can be so corny sometimes. Put me down if you want to eat tonight, I need to start dinner."

Not bothering to address her first statement, I gave her a wicked smirk. "Who said I need food when I can enjoy _you_ as my dinner, Mrs. Cullen?"

She blushed bright red at my remark and hid her face in my neck. I could feel her breath on my skin as she whispered, "I can be the dessert, but you need actual food."

Moving my head back slightly, I grinned down at her and asked, "Is that a promise, baby?"

When she nodded while biting her lip, I kissed her forehead before saying, "Then your dinner awaits, Bellarina. Your amazing husband brought take-out dinner for you so that he can get his dessert sooner."

She giggled lightly as I carried her off to the dining room._ Maybe I have been over-thinking this. Bella seems like she's over whatever was worrying her._

**-OTC-**

That night, after I had thoroughly enjoyed my dessert, I felt Bella's breathing go down to normal as sleep claimed my beauty.

As I held my wife in my arms, I thought back to her responses when I got back home today. She seemed happy, like whatever was bothering her—if indeed she was bothered in the first place—has been sorted out.

The way her bright smiling face made my heart clench that evening told me I needed to make her smile like that more often. I have to come up with a plan to make her smile and giggle happily like before.

_What should I do to make her happy?_

**BPOV**

The next day I felt like a huge burden has been lifted off of my chest, as if I could breathe for the first time since all these feelings of dejection and guilt for being dejected engulfed me.

As I stood in just Edward's shirt, I looked at the eggs I had put on the stove. The sizzling sound of hot oil faded from my ears as my mind went back to the conversation I had had with my mother the day before._ Whoever said Mamma knows best was a genius._

**-****_Flashback_****-**

After I had returned home from Rose's ob-gyn check up, I sat down on the bed and groaned as I felt my muscles relax. On the way home, Rose had started to make a list of all the stuff she had to have done before her and Emmett's wedding.

Since her father did not want his grandchild to be born out of wedlock and because Em really didn't want to have his balls ripped off and shoved down his throat by a very angry Mr. Hale, they had decided to have a joint wedding with Alice and Jasper in early September.

Surprisingly, Alice hadn't put up any qualms with having her thunder stolen (as Rose had worried). No, instead, she had gone into total Bridezilla mode and had recruited Rose as the second-in-command in her WN group. Thankfully, she had not been able to reach me to recruit me as well.

As I listened to Rose's talks of wedding-shit-list (A list named by the bride herself), I felt the little corner of my heart wanting to go back in time and marry Edward with all the usual shit again—this time for love.

I turned my head to the side and looked at the phone lying beside me. I picked it up and in a sudden impulsive moment, I called my mother.

"_Bella? Honey, how are you?_" her voice asked from the other end before I could say anything.

I tried to sound normal as I greeted her. "Hey, mom. I'm fine. How are you? How's dad?"

I must have failed terribly because the next time she spoke, her voice had the soothing quality it held when she used to wipe my skinned knees with antiseptics after I had fallen down as a kid. "_Bella, baby girl, what is it? What's wrong?_"

I tried, I really and truly tried to not sound like I was crying but the fucking dam just broke and before I knew it, I was blabbering like a fucking lunatic. "Mom, I don't know what to do. I love him. I love him too much to tell him, knowing that it will hurt him because he didn't think of it sooner. But I want it, mom. I want to marry him."

She sounded panicked as she quickly cut me off and asked, "_Wait, wait. Bella who are you talking about? You can't marry anyone. You are already married._"

I wiped my stupid tears and replied with confusion, "Who the hell do you think I am talking about? I wanna marry Edward, mom."

Now she sounded equally confused as she said, "_But you're already married to him, honey. Are you sure you're feeling okay?_"

_Fuck! This was a bad idea_, I thought to myself, before replying her. "Mom, I _am_ fine. It's just… seeing and hearing Alice and Rose's wedding plans makes me realize how much I missed out on in my own wedding. I was just so pissed off about the idea of having an arranged marriage that I didn't even think that I might end up feeling like I cheated myself of the chance to enjoy my own wedding for some stupid grudge I had against you and dad."

She let out a sigh before saying, "_Baby girl, we did what we thought was best for you and I know while our approach was wrong, it did bring you happiness. Edward really loves you, Bella. He's crazy about you._"

I smiled and nodded before remembering she couldn't see me. "I know, mom," I said, "I know that he loves me—more than I thought anybody will ever love me. But he is clueless about the fact that I want to marry him again… or renew our vows… whatever."

She laughed lightly at my petulant reply and said, "_Boys are clueless like that. It's one of the many drawbacks of being a boy. Anyway, if you want something why don't you let him know? It's not good to keep your feelings suppressed. He's not a mind-reader. You need to tell him why you are feeling like this. Communication is the key to a happy marriage… and sex. You are having regular sex, aren't you? You can try different positions to spice it up a bit…_"

"AAAAA! MOM, SHUT UP!" I shouted, making her chortle.

When I was sure she wasn't going to offer me anymore tips about sexual positions, I said, "Ignoring your last question, I have to tell you that we do communicate. We promised each other not to keep anything suppressed in ourselves while the other keeps wondering what is wrong. But the problem is, if I tell him that I want him to propose to me and then renew our vows, he'll beat himself up for not thinking of it on his own. He likes to take all the blame on himself and I don't want to make him feel like he needs to do this for me."

Mom seemed to think for a moment before she asked, "_What do I always tell you about cookies?_"

I couldn't understand what the fuck cookies had to do with our wedding and huffed. "Mom, I am having a real life crisis here."

"_Which I am offering a solution to,"_ she countered._ "Remember your Nana used to say 'When the cookie doesn't come to you, you gotta dip your hand in the cookie jar'? I think that rule applies here._"

I considered what she was saying and asked slowly, "So you think I should propose to Edward, instead?"

There was smile in her voice as she replied, "_I was suggesting that you take a chance and ask him to marry you again but the idea of you proposing to him works too. I say go for it, honey._"

Hearing her words, I made up my mind. Yes, I was going to propose to Edward. Who said only the guy had to propose to his girl? I was going to propose my man. Smiling brightly, I told her, "Thanks, Mom, it was a big help talking to you. I love you."

"I love you, too, baby," she said, "_If you need any more tips about boys or _anything else_, don't hesitate to call me._"

_Yeah, in never-gonna-happen-land_, I snickered in my head before saying goodbye to her.

**-Flashback Ends-**

I almost jumped out of my skin as I felt two strong arms wrap around my torso from behind. A quiet chuckle in my ear told me who the culprit was. I lightly smacked his arms, took the pan off the stove and turned the stove off before turning in his embrace.

I wrapped my arms around his neck, entangled my fingers in his super sexy bed-hair and brought his face down to mine in a kiss. "Good morning, baby," I whispered against his well-defined jaw after a few moments.

I felt his arms tighten around me as he brought our bodies impossibly closer; he moved his head to capture my lips in a breath-taking kiss. When he finally let go of my lips, he greeted me. "Hmm. It's a very good morning indeed. How often does a guy get to watch his beautiful wife cook breakfast wearing just his shirt?"

I tugged on his hair just to get a rise out of him and said, "You like seeing me in your clothes, don't you, baby?"

He let out a low moan from the back of his throat and buried his face in my neck. He inhaled sharply and then looked back into my eyes. "I love seeing you in my clothes. But what I love more is that you smell like me in the morning. I love smelling myself on you, knowing that you slept all night draped in me, is the biggest turn on for me, love."

Blushing like crazy, I hid my face in his chest and kissed just over his heart before mumbling, "I love that you smell like me as well. I love you."

He raised his hands from my hips and cupped my face. He was smiling as he said with conviction, "I love you, too, Bellarina. I love you so much that I miss you if you leave work early—even for just an hour."

I laughed at his words and kissed him once again. When he pressed into me, my laughter got caught in my throat as I felt how turned on he was. Soon I found myself pressed in between the kitchen counter and Edward and I couldn't think of a single place I'd rather be.

A few moments later, I was sitting on the counter as he moved in and out of me. It wasn't until I fell back on the countertop and felt his head resting on my breasts that I remembered our breakfast. When I motioned toward the now cold breakfast, he grinned and bit lightly on my nipple, making me arch my back in pleasurable pain.

"Since we already have to warm the food, why don't we go and take a shower? I'm sure after the dirty things we did last night and this morning, we need a good cleaning," he said with a wink.

Running my hands through his hair, I kissed his forehead and said, "Who the hell am I to say no to such a valid reason? Lead the way, Dr. Cullen." Within seconds, he picked me up in his arms and rushed toward the bathroom.

**-OTC-**

Later that day, as I sat idly at my desk, I browsed the most amazing ways to propose. The results were either too cheesy or too ridiculous.

_Nope, I need to come up with something that is sweet and cute but also not cheesy—something that is just us. What the fuck should I do?_

**A/N: They are so clueless, aren't they?**

**Anyway, let me know your thoughts and leave a review, please?**

**Until next time.**

**Take care.**

**Ann**


	46. Chapter- 46: Cookie Time

**Disclaimer: No copyrights infringement intended. I don't own Twilight saga or any of its awesome characters.**

**A/N: Thanks to everyone who has reviewed, favorited, put on alert or simply... read OTC. You guys make my days a little bit brighter. Thank you.**

**Enjoy Chapter-46 and I'll see you at the end of this chapter with an important notice! :-)**

**Chapter- 46: Cookie Time**

**BPOV**

The months before Edward's birthday were pretty hectic. The summer heat was almost blistering this year and the hospital was too fucking busy all the time for a girl to sit down and plan. Yeah, you got that right. This girl was fucking pissed because she didn't have enough time to plan the best way to propose to her husband.

After agreeing that I had to take initiative to get my _cookie_, I had gone into frantic planning mode. Planning out my proposal while helping out both Rose and Alice with their wedding plans was taking so fucking long that before I knew it, it was June.

Since it was the month of his birthday, I had figured instead of getting him a birthday present, I would ask for _him_ as a present for myself. That and there was a minor detail that I still had no fucking clue on how to do it.

Oh, I had been busy researching ways how to do it but so far I had come up with nada. I had even asked my friends and my mother-in-law for help but their ideas were either outrageous or too boring to apply to us.

First, I had gone to my best friend. Of course, after congratulating me for finally growing a pair of _lady-balls_ (her words, not mine), she told me to go to Victoria's Secret and buy the sexiest shit I could get my hands on and then when I got back home, to put it on and write the words "Want a piece of this pie? Better marry me again then" on my body with edible body paint. That was the most ridiculous thing she had said in her life, ever.

_I mean come on, edible body paint sounds like something we might try someday but it was not fit for proposing to my husband._

After that hormonal preggo lady, I went to ask Alice for advice. You know what she said? She asked me to sign us both up for a couple's spa day and there, I should propose to him while he lies face-down on the massage table beside me.

Because the idea of proposing to my husband—who is lying face-down and almost naked by the way—in front of two strangers who are rubbing oils on us is such an amazing one, I had to discard it too.

Feeling desperate, I had even approached Esme to ask for advice and she gave me the most boring-as-horse-shit idea I had ever heard. Her idea was to gift him with a notebook with the words "Marry me again" etched on the front cover.

Yeah, it was sweet in the early 60s, I guess, but that was not like Edward and me. Besides, there was no way in hell that I would allow my husband walk around with a notebook asking everyone who read it to marry him at work.

_Nope, not a fucking chance in hell._

Unfortunately for me, when I had approached Esme, my mother overheard us and tried to offer her own wisdom. But the moment the words 'Blow job is the best medicine' escaped her mouth, I put fingers in my ear and started screaming, not humming, Black Sabbath song in my head and then slammed the phone down.

_Yeah, now I need brain bleach to delete the idea of my mother applying her own theory on my father. Gross!_

So, finally, I had made up my mind. This was about me and Edward. We had enough people meddle in our relationship in the past and I was not going to let that happen again. Since his birthday preceded the weekend, Edward and I had invited both our parents to Seattle to celebrate the day with us.

My plan was to play the role of his perfect hostess and lavish my beautiful man with love and when everyone went to bed, I was going to go up in our room and wait for him. The moment I hear his footsteps on the stairs, I was going to drop down on one knee and then ask him to marry me because I wanted to be his—forever.

_A simple plan, really, so nothing can go wrong with it, right?_

**EPOV**

I was almost vibrating with joy the moment I got the call that the truck had pulled up in the garage of our home.

As I dashed toward the door, I passed Bella, looking engrossed as she read the book resting on her lap. Unable to hold back my giddiness, I leaned down and smacked a kiss on her cheek before continuing on my way.

"Edward? Baby, what is it?" Her voice came after me. When I opened the door, I felt her presence behind me.

I turned to find her looking questioningly at me and I grinned at her. "My birthday present from my parents is here."

Her face paled and she widened her eyes before whispering, "I thought your birthday was on the 20th. _Today_ is your birthday?"

I shook my head, not understanding the reason behind her perplexed expression. Peeking at the elevator from the doorway, I said, "My birthday _is_ on the 20th. This just came a bit early."

When I saw the numbers changing on the elevator, I turned back to her and asked, "Why are you so worried about that?"

She gave me a bright smile and said, "I just didn't wanna miss the chance to wish you a 'Happy Birthday' the first thing in the morning."

She scrunched up her nose just a little bit, which usually was the sign that she was lying. _But it can be from her aversion to the idea of missing my birthday, _I told myself.

I dropped a kiss on the top of her head before smirking at her. "Believe me, baby, on my birthday, you'll get the chance to do a lot more than just wish me a happy day."

She rolled her eyes and was about to say something when the sound of something heavy being pushed down the hallway came to our ears. She grabbed a handful of my t-shirt before rising on her tiptoes and looking out to the hallway.

Unclenching her hand from my shirt, I brought it up to my lips and said softly, "Baby, why don't you go ahead in our room for a bit while I get the delivery people to place it properly?"

She looked down at her small and very thin tank-top and boy-shorts ensemble and blushed.

_I loved the sight of my wife looking all sexy and shy at the same time._

I chuckled and tapped the apple of her cheek. She looked up into my eyes and smiled and then whispered, "Don't forget come to me upstairs once they're gone."

I groaned. _Holy fuck! Now she wants me to pop a boner? Really, woman?_

Winking at me, she ran up the stairs, letting the sound of her giggles linger behind her, as I tried my damndest to will my soldier down.

_Once we're alone, I am so going to come… just not _to_ her… I'll come _inside_ her, _I promised silently.

**-OTC-**

It was almost seven thirty when I creaked open our bedroom door. The bed was empty. I walked into the room and glanced at the bathroom.

The door was ajar.

I turned to the left side, expecting to find my girl curled up with her book on the couch but she wasn't there as well. _Where is she?_

Just as I was thinking about calling her name, I felt two hands encircling me from behind. They stroked my torso a few times before travelling upwards, feeling my abs as they went. A wide-ass grin stretched on my lips and I felt her nibble lightly on my earlobe.

Then she whispered in my ear, "I have been waiting for a while, Dr. Cullen. You really shouldn't keep your wife waiting."

I chuckled as one of her hands started moving southward—surely, heading for the fucker who was already saluting her as a good boy-scout. My chuckle morphed into a growl as she grabbed me through my jeans and squeezed. "If you keep doing that, Mrs. Cullen, I will not be held responsible for any marks you find on the crotch my jeans."

She snorted and slackened her hand. I could feel the vibrations of her laughter as she rested her head on my back and laughed.

Wanting to see her beautiful face, I turned around and I cussed—pretty fucking loudly. Because facing me was my wife—with not a stitch on her body.

My jaw must have dropped down to the floor because she smirked at me and then proceeded to close my mouth with her index finger. "I got hot in that top," she said.

"Too fucking hot, love," I said back before practically attacking her mouth with mine. As my hands reached down to her ass, she moaned and then started tugging my shirt over my head.

As soon as my pants hit the floor, she pushed herself flush with my body. A tortured groan left my lips as I felt her heat against my skin. Without conscious thoughts, I grasped her hips in my hands and then walked us towards the closed door of our room.

The next thing I knew, I had Bella pressed against the door as I kissed every inch of her I could get to.

"Baby, I need…" I tried to tell her that I needed her right then and there and I didn't think that I could wait till we were on the bed.

But maybe she knew me too fucking well, because she kissed my jaw and whispered, "Then take me, Edward. I'm yours. Don't think, just take me."

I felt myself harden even more at her words and then hitched her leg on my hip, making us align perfectly. I placed wet kisses on her collarbone and then said softly, "I love you, Bellarina." And then I was inside her. Soon there were only the sounds of her moans, my groans and our ragged breathing surrounding us.

When we were both able to catch our breaths, I hugged her to my chest for a moment before kissing her forehead. A lazy smile stretched onto her lips and she said, "I love you too, baby."

**-OTC-**

After we had cleaned up and Bella had donned on my t-shirt while I wore just my sweatpants, we walked down the stairs, hand in hand. I wanted to show her my present. So when she started to walk toward the kitchen, I tugged on her hand, making her turn to look at me.

"Edward, you do know that we need actual dinner besides each other, right?" she asked sassily.

I grinned at her and shrugged. "I just had my dessert, I can hold on for the main course for a bit." When she laughed at my analogy, I said, "Besides, I want to show you what my parents got me."

She smiled at me and reached up to brush some of my hair from my forehead. Then she asked softly, "You're excited about your birthday, aren't you?"

_You have no idea, love, _I thought before saying out loud, "What's not to be excited about? I get to spend my day at home, with the woman I love; I get to share the day with my family and I get lots of presents. I am pretty excited."

She giggled and said, "I can tell. All right then, Dr. Cullen, lead the way."

As I steered her toward the library, I felt her confusion rising from the arching of her eyebrows.

_She must think I got books as a present._

Not saying anything, I strode to the far side of the library and pushed on the wall. The wall moved to reveal the room beyond—a room that I had had sound-proofed when I bought the house—my music room.

"Hey, what…" her words got caught in her throat as I flipped the light switch, showering the room with light. A loud gasp came out of her lips and her eyes landed on the shiny black piano sitting in the middle of the room.

Stifling a chuckle, I leaned down to whisper in her ears, "My parents got my piano shipped here from England."

As if in a trance, she walked up to the instrument and ghosted her hand on the surface.

When she turned to face me, her eyes were soft and full of brightness. In a barely-audible voice she asked, "Will you play it for me?"

"Why do you think I got all excited about getting it early? I want to show off to you, love," I said with a wink.

For once, she didn't say anything sarcastic. Instead she smiled shyly and asked, "When?"

I chuckled at her sudden shyness and said, "Now, Mrs. Cullen, if you want that is."

She nodded before whispering, "I want, Dr. Cullen."

Smiling widely at her, I walked up to sit on the piano bench and then tugged her hand to make her sit beside me. I thought for a moment and then started playing her favorite piano piece—Debussy, the one we listened to on our wedding day.

It wasn't until I felt her rest her cheek on my shoulder did I remember that I had finished the song and had again started it from the top. I stilled my hands on the keys and turned my head to drop a kiss on top of her head. She sighed softly and I asked, "What are you thinking?"

She raised her head and looked at me with a sexy smile playing on her lips. "I am thinking that I should not be feeling jealous of a piano just because you are playing it."

I smiled back at her and said, "You want me to play you, love? You know, all you gotta do is ask."

She shook her head at my smugness and kissed my lips before standing up. "I am sure you'll make an _orgasmic experience_ out of your playing. But now, we both need food… before we can _play_." I groaned at her words and she giggled as she walked out of the room.

_One day I was going to play her on top of my piano._

**BPOV**

I thought back to the morning as I stirred the pot of sauce on the stove. It was Edward's birthday. All our parents were here at our house along with Alice, Jasper, Emmett and Rose. We were going to have a birthday dinner—that was all—at least that's what everyone thought. What was gonna happen once Edward and I went back up to our room was a secret—to everyone else but me.

That morning when I woke him up with kisses and then proceeded to give him a mind-_blowing_ Happy Birthday greeting, my husband had grinned like a Cheshire cat. He had even offered to call all our guests and cancel so that we could stay in bed all day long. But I had stopped him—not because I didn't want to stay wrapped up in him all day but because this was our first time hosting an event as a married couple and I wanted to play the part of his hostess perfectly.

Of course just because I had a lot of cooking and baking to do, I couldn't deny the birthday boy his wish, so I had offered to join him in the shower. It was a win-win situation. My mind was still caught up in the ways he had held on to me as our cries of pleasure reverberated in the enclosed bathroom when I heard a sudden clatter behind me.

I almost jumped out of my skin at the sound and turned around to find my mother standing behind me. "How are you, baby girl?" she asked.

I smiled as my heart rate settled down. "I am good, Mom. We're good."

Raising her eyebrow at me she said, "I can see that. Edward looks like he's going to burst out with happiness whenever you walk into the room."

I blushed at her words because that was exactly how I felt whenever I saw him smile.

With a laugh, she patted my heated cheeks. "So what have you decided about the cookie thing, honey?"

Biting my lip, I divulged a little bit of information as I said, "I think you're right. I want that cookie and I am gonna ask for it. Soon."

I wasn't going to tell her I was doing it tonight. Because knowing her, she might sneak into our room just to see it happen.

She smiled and said, "Good idea. Though I didn't think you'd have to ask him, in the first place. I mean, the way he looked at you during the New Year's party, it was like he was willing to jump in front of you and take a bullet than hurt you."

I frowned at her and said dryly, "He did face my gun-slinging father for me. But he's not hurting me, mom. He loves me. I know it and that's what matter most to me. You were right. He's not a mind-reader and I had promised to him that I will not hide anything from him if it bugs me. So I am going to speak my mind because I know our love is much stronger than petty who-said-it-first debates."

Her eyes glinted with happiness as she hugged me to her and then she whispered, "I am so happy that you found love, sweetie. It's a delight to watch you two together."

"You spoke my mind, Ren," said the voice of my mother-in-law. Mom and I both turned to see her smile at us from the other side of the kitchen counter.

"Esme, thank you for coming," I said, trying very hard not to let the tears prickling in the back of my eyes to spill out.

_Damn it, mom, why do you have to say sweet things to me when I am already a nervous wreck?_

Esme smiled at me and said, "Thanks for inviting us and for making my baby boy so happy. It is a joy to see him like this."

I blushed and replied softly, "He makes me happy as well, Esme."

Before the sappiness could get out of hand, I brightened up and ushered them out of the kitchen saying that dinner should be ready soon.

**-OTC-**

Dinner was—in a word—a cheerful one. It seemed we all had been caught up so much with our personal lives that we hadn't had the chance to just sit and talk like a family.

There was laughter, there was snickers, there was teasing, there was pouting and there was a feeling of contentment in the eyes of every member of my family and to tell you the truth, I couldn't be happier.

Once he had finished wiping his plate clean, Emmett rubbed his hands together and said in an enthusiastic voice, "BabyBell, tell me you've got cake as well, sis." I laughed at his silliness and nodded.

Edward gave him a mock glare and said, "Shut it, Em. You had triple servings of everything. The cake's mine."

Em gave him an angelic smile and said, "Now, now, Eddie, remember what Aunt Esme said—sharing is caring. And you do care for me, don't you Pouty?"

This time I rolled my eyes at Em and exclaimed, "Hey, don't call him names. It's his birthday. You can call him Pouty Boy tomorrow."

Among the shouts of "Hell yeah, BabyBell" and "I thought you loved me," I kissed my husband's cheek and stood up to go and get the cake from the kitchen.

I was digging around for wine glasses when I felt him behind me. "It wasn't nice of you to say that, you know," he whispered into my ear, making a shiver run through me as I felt his lips right beneath my ear.

Calling forward every bit of self-control I had, I pressed my back to his chest and laid my hands over his arms which encircled my waist. Hoping he couldn't hear my heart trying beat its way out of my chest, I murmured, "I'll apologize to you properly… when we're alone in our room. I promise."

A low chuckle escaped his mouth before his hands moved upwards to brush the tip of my nipples. Unable to hold it in much longer, I let out a soft moan and felt him kiss the back of my neck. He whispered against my skin, "I look forward to that moment then, love."

And then, he was gone. _God! How the fuck can he be so fucking sexy?_

**-OTC-**

As I came back to the dining room after leaving the dessert plates on the sink to soak, Alice grabbed my hand. "Bella, we have to go to the music room." Before I could ask why and notice the absence of everyone else, she started talking again, "It's been so long since we have heard Ed play and so he took everyone there to listen to him. I figured we can give him his presents there as well. What do you think?"

Placing a hand on her shoulder, I said, "Allie, I think you need to breathe." After she had taken a deep breath, I continued, "I also think it's an excellent idea. I love to listen to him play."

When we walked into the cozy music room, I saw that most of the seats in the room were filled with our guests. The only seat left was between Em and Jazz, and I was pretty sure Jazz was hoping to get Alice sit there. Before I could make a dash to bring a stool from the library, Edward opened his arms for me and smiled.

I returned his smile as I walked to him and sat on the arm of his chair. Automatically, my arm went around his shoulder as he wrapped an arm around my waist. Then we turned to face our guests to let them give my man his birthday gifts.

_I hope he smiles just as widely when I ask him for mine._

**-OTC-**

After he had opened every gift and thanked everyone, Edward stood up and took my hand in his. He addressed the room as he looked into my eyes and said, "Since it's my birthday, I would like to make you sit and listen to something I want to play for my Bella. I sincerely hope your hearing doesn't get affected by this."

Everyone laughed at his joking and he smiled at them before turning back to me. "This one's for you, love."

Then he made me sit down on the chair and approached the piano.

_Okay, I was expecting him to ask me to sit beside him but it's still amazing that he wants to play for me,_ I thought to myself as I saw him take his seat and place his hands on the keys.

What followed after that could only be described as amazingly awesome. He played a music which I hadn't heard before but it felt like it was searing through my very soul. As the music washed over me, I was astounded as all the love I felt for this extraordinary man came crashing to my heart. It wasn't until I heard the light clapping, I realized that the music had stopped and my eyes were misty with unshed tears.

I quickly rubbed my eyes, hoping to see him and then I saw. I saw him looking anxiously at me. I tried to smile at him and started to get up from my seat, wanting to hug him so badly. But he shook his head, silently telling me to remain seated. Then he strode toward me—purposefully and determinedly—and stopped just a foot away from me.

And then he opened his mouth and I got the biggest surprise of my life.

"Bella," he said, looking right into my eyes. "I love you. I cannot tell you how much, but baby, I'm pretty damn sure you know that already." I nodded, wondering where he was going with this.

He ran a hand through his hair and said, "I don't remember our childhood and I cannot even begin to express how much I wish we hadn't been separated. But whatever happened, happened. I cannot regret anything that brought us together. I never thought I would run into a beautiful and angry girl, marry her without knowing who she was, become her friend or fall in love with her. Yet, I did all those things. You are exactly my type of crazy, Bellarina and I love that we can be crazy together."

By this point, my tears were running freely down my cheek and I didn't give a shit because those words coming out of his mouth were beautiful and I loved them.

He reached out with his hand to wipe the tear tracks from my cheek and then he said, "Shh, love, don't cry. I promised your father that I won't make you cry. Don't make me break my promise."

A choked laughter came bubbling out of me as I held his hand to my face and kissed his palm.

He nudged my chin with his knuckles, making me meet his eyes, and said, "The only thing I regret about our life is that we didn't get married because of love. So…"

Still looking into my eyes, he dropped down to one knee and I gasped loudly. He smiled at me and took my left hand in his. "Isabella Cullen, I promise to make you crazy with my love for as long as I live. I want to marry you again—not because of an arrangement, but because I love you—please, tell me you'll give me that opportunity, baby. Marry me again, Bellarina."

I didn't know what to say or think so I started to shake my head, trying to clear it.

_What the fuck? I thought _I_ was going to propose to _him!

Without answering him, I stood up from my seat and looked around at the people I had confided in. "Okay, which one of you told him about it?"

There were matching puzzled expressions on all their faces and it was just starting to dawn on me that maybe they didn't tell him anything. Then I felt a tug on my hand and looked down to see my husband holding my hand, looking confused as shit.

_Oh fuck! I wanted a perfect proposal and now that I got it, I'm blowing it._

Cursing my stupidity, I kneeled down before him and bit my lip, not sure how to go about it. Then I did what I had wanted to do when he had told me that the song he was playing was for me—I kissed him. I felt his lips turn up in a smile against mine and smiled as well.

"So, does this mean you're saying yes?" he asked after we parted.

I nodded and said, "Uh-huh. Yes, Edward Cullen, I want to marry you again because I love you." His answering smile was blinding as he hugged me close to his chest. There were sounds of clapping and murmurs of congratulations (well, a holler from Em among the murmurs) and I felt myself melting against my husband.

Amidst all this, Edward reached into his pocket and brought out a beautiful diamond ring. It was gold with a large circular diamond in the middle with two smaller ones on both sides of it and I abso-fucking-lutely loved it. "I chose it because I thought the circle represents us—coming a full circle in our marriage."

I smiled at him and held up my hand. He grinned and slipped the ring with my wedding band. And then just because he could, he brought my hand to his lips and kissed my knuckles. And of course because I was Bella-freaking-Cullen, I blushed.

When everyone had calmed down, Edward sat down on the seat and pulled me on his lap.

Surprisingly, it was my father who brought up my stupidity first. "So, Bells, do you mind sharing with us why you glowered at everyone when he popped the question?"

I wanted to say that yes, I did mind sharing that, but the curiosity lurking in my man's eyes made me answer. I cleared my throat and then looked sheepishly at him and said, "Baby, I—I didn't know you were planning to ask me. I was kind of preparing to do the same—tonight. I wanted everything you said we could have had if things had been different and I wanted this, so much." Realizing that I was babbling, I shut my mouth up.

There was a signature smirk playing on his lips as Edward asked me, "So you find me _that_ irresistible that you wanted to marry me again, Bellarina?"

I elbowed him lightly and said petulantly, "So what? You find me irresistible as well, Smirky."

He caught my hand, preventing me from elbowing him again and grinned. "Damn right, I do."

**-OTC-**

When we got to our bedroom, we were both blissfully happy with the turn of events. Closing the door behind me, I launched myself in his arms and giggled when he caught me—yep, like I said, blissfully happy.

My arms were still around his neck when I asked him, "What was the song you played for me? I don't think I've heard that one before."

He rolled his eyes and said, "I sure hope not. Because I just finished it two nights back."

_What? Does he mean…?_

My eyes widened and I sputtered out, "Wait, _you _finished it? You wrote a song—for me?"

He cupped my cheek in his hand and said, "Of course, Bellarina. You are the only muse I need."

Shaking my head at his adorableness, I asked him, "Have I told you that I love you?"

He smirked. "Not in the last ten minutes, you haven't."

I brushed my lips over his and whispered, "Well, I do. I love you, baby." He said he loved me too before proceeding to show me just how much.

**A/N: Okay, I know many of you wanted Bella to do the proposing, but Adorableward decided to join the game and this happened. ;)**

**About the important notice, in case you were wondering, we are nearing the end. Maybe there are around five more chapters to go before we say goodbye to Rudeward and his Cluelessella. But I sincerely hope you will stick with me. I already have another story planned out. It's gonna be a sci-fi/fantasy/adventure/romance story, with very little science and lot of fiction going on. There will be a bike-riding, kickass Bella and a shy nerdward, and the Carlisle is probably going to be one of my favorite characters I have written, like EVER. The story's gonna be named "THE PERFECT LIGHT". It's gonna start posting the day OTC ends. So, I do hope to see you all there. :)**

**The songs I listened to while writing this chapter are: Marry Me - the Eurovision Song Contest, Rock Me - One Direction and Marry You – Bruno Mars.**

**So, leave me your thoughts and review, please?**

**Until next time.**

**Take care.**

**Ann**


	47. Chapter- 47: Renewal

**Disclaimer: No copyrights infringement intended. I don't own Twilight saga or any of its awesome characters.**

**A/N: Thanks to everyone who has reviewed, favorited, put on alert or simply... read OTC. You guys make my days a little bit brighter. Thank you.**

**Enjoy Chapter-47 and I'll see you at the end of this chapter! :-)**

**Chapter- 47: Renewal**

**EPOV**

"I don't like this. I don't like this at all," I grumbled from where I sat on the bed.

In response, a sweet tinkling laughter came, followed by the sound of my wife's voice, "Don't pout, baby. It's just a silly tradition. Before the night ends, I will be right back into your arms."

I huffed, making her poke her head out to look at me from the bathroom.

Yeah, I was pouting but it was for a valid reason. My wife, my beautiful, sexy, exquisitely gorgeous wife was going out for a night of bar-hopping with my sister and soon-to-be cousin-in-law—without me.

To say that I was opposed to the idea of letting her go off alone to drink is a major understatement. _She is a light-weight. I need to be there with her._

Of course I didn't keep my thoughts unknown. So I again grumbled, "I just don't get why we need bachelor-bachelorette nights when we are already married."

My words were answered by the sound of clicking heels and then I felt her hand on my cheek.

She cupped my face in her hands and leaned down to kiss me. My annoyance started to melt away as I helped her climb onto my lap and kissed her back very enthusiastically.

_Anything to make her forget about this bachelorette shit._

I was running my hands down her sides when I encountered something that felt like leather.

With great effort, I pulled away from her lips and stared at the ensemble she was wearing.

_Holy fuck!_

Bella was wearing a dress very similar to the one she had worn the night I had first laid eyes on her. Except now, her dress was a bit shorter and instead of those killer heels, she wore knee-high black leather boots. She had left her hair untied and put on minimal makeup and I—for the life of me—couldn't suppress the moan that escaped my mouth as she kissed my Adam's apple.

"I promise to be a very good girl while I'm out, Dr. Cullen. Once I get back to you, however, I'll be anything but," she whispered, making me tighten my grip on her thighs.

I let out a ragged sigh and tilted her head up to kiss her once again. When we parted, I was very pleased to note that her lips looked plump and thoroughly kissed. I took her hand in mine and stroked the rings resting there with my thumb—my rings.

_Yeah, every fucker out there should know that she's mine._

The sound of the doorbell ringing snapped me out of the Neanderthal-like thoughts I was having, and moving her out of my lap, I stood up to get to the door.

Before going though, I held her close to me and said, "Promise me that you'll be safe. Please, love, I need to know that you'll take care of yourself."

A soft smile played on her lips as she kissed my forehead… probably trying to erase the worry lines that had formed there and then said, "I promise."

**-OTC-**

It was only two hours into our wii tournament when Em slapped my shoulder, almost making me drop the bottle of corona from my hand.

I glared at him and yelled, "Em, what the fuck is wrong with you?"

Jasper, who was already looking a little droopy, took a big bite out of his pizza slice and grinned. "He's trying to make you lose. I call foul from Emmett."

I held my hand up to give Jasper a high-five when Em rolled his eyes.

Then he dangled my phone in front of my eyes and said with a wicked gleam in his eyes, "I think BabyBell will be very happy to know that you care more about videogames than her to even bother to pick up her call."

_What? My Bella is calling?_

I immediately sat up and snatched the phone from his hand before hitting the answer button. "Bella? Baby, are you all right? Do you need me to come get you?"

My frantic questions were answered by peals of girly giggles from various voices, one of which I recognized as my wife's.

"Ed-war—d, I'm fi—ine," she giggled before continuing, "I actually wanted to share with you what I am drinking. Do you want to know what I'm drinking, baby? I just finished a Blow Job."

"What?" I asked hoarsely.

_What the fuck is happening there?_

Another trilling laughter and then she whispered, quite loudly, "That one made me think of you. If you were here, I could do the drink justice. I miss you, baby." Her last words came out in a sigh.

I could feel my traitorous dick already start to wake up at the things she was saying. "Love, listen to me…" I tried to get her to calm down but she shut me up with a sudden burst of laughter.

"Hey, you know what I'm gonna get after this? I'm gonna get a Strawberry Stripper. You like the smell of my strawberry shampoo, don't you, baby?" Her voice was just a little bit breathy—just like it became when she was aroused.

I shook my head, trying to clear off the lust-induced haze clouding my mind and then said in a quiet but firm voice, "Bella, listen to me. I need you to drink at least three glasses of water, okay, love? And then I need you to get Alice and Rose and head back home to me. Can you do that for me, baby?"

She was silent for a few moments and then said, "There, already finished one glass of water. I'll do anything for you, Edward. I'm coming home to you."

I finally let out a sigh of relief and smiled into the phone. "Good girl. I'll see you real soon, love."

**-OTC-**

Thirty two minutes and forty six seconds (Yeah, I counted the seconds) after my conversation with Bella, the doorbell rang, making me drop the game controller from my hand and rush to open the door.

"You'd think she's been away for at least a month, the way he's acting." Emmett snorted behind me but I really couldn't give a shit.

As soon as I opened the door, Bella launched herself into my arms and burying her face in my chest, she whimpered. "I missed you."

"I missed you too, love," I whispered back and then proceeded to lift her up in my arms, not sure if she could walk up the stairs without knocking herself out on the banister.

Ignoring all the hoots and whistles coming from my friends and siblings, I carried her up to our room and laid her down on the bed. I kissed the top of her head and said, "Why don't you take a little rest, love? I'll be back once everyone is out of the door."

She made a humming sound before closing her eyes.

Once I had shoved everyone out of the door, I bounded up the stairs, anxious to get back to my girl. When I got there, she was lying on the bed so I decided to go and freshen up before helping her get changed as well.

However, a few minutes later, when I opened the bathroom door, the first thing that caught my eyes was the empty bed.

I turned my head and found my girl sitting on the couch with her back to me. "Bella? Are you feeling sick, love?" I asked. Slowly, she turned to look at me and the lust I could see in her eyes made my heart beat pick up.

She stood up and started stalking toward me, all the while playing with the swan pendant hanging in between her breasts.

"I am fine," she said softly before walking right up to me. With a hand on my chest, she pushed me down on the bed, and I sat there, feeling equally confused and aroused at the same time.

"Since I had a Strawberry Stripper, I thought you'd like one too," she said and then reached behind her to untie the knot behind her neck. The neckline gave away and I watched with wide eyes as my girl shimmied out of the black material.

_Shit! Is she going to give me a striptease?_ I wondered.

I got the answer to my question when she left the dress on the floor and walked up to stand in between my legs. She looked right into my eyes and reached behind her to unclasp her bra. As soon as the thing hit the ground, she started to raise her leg, fingering the side chain of her boots.

I reached out to still her hands and almost begged, "Don't. Keep those on."

She smiled seductively at me and then let her hands drift upwards to rest on the waistband of her panties. She toyed with the thing for a moment, making me harder by the second, before finally hooking her thumbs on either side and pulling it down her legs.

A muffled moan left my lips and I reached out to bring her to me. She shook her head, telling me to stay put and then grabbed the hem of my shirt. In one fluid movement, it was over my head and flying across the room, and I didn't care.

She ran her index finger down my sternum and then let it ghost over the bulge on the front of my jeans.

"Do you want me to take this off for you, baby?" she asked.

By some weird power I didn't know I possessed, I managed to locate my speech centre and answered, "No, I _need_ you to take it off."

She laughed lightly and then nodded before doing exactly that. Once I was naked and completely at her mercy, she stood closer to me and then raised herself to rest her knees on the bed, straddling me.

I finally gave up trying not to touch her and grabbed her ass in both my hands. She let out a moan and then rubbed herself against me. "You know there was another cocktail that I wanted, but then I realized I want it from you," she said, sucking my lip into her mouth.

"Whatever you need, love, it's yours," I said through gritted teeth.

She moved her head to brush a kiss on my ear and whispered, "A screaming orgasm. Will you give that to me, Edward?"

With an animalistic groan, I slammed her down on me and said, "You can count on it, Mrs. Cullen."

And I did; in fact, I gave her multiple screaming orgasms.

When she was lying spread-eagled over me, she kissed my chest and whispered, "You make the best cocktails, baby."

Maybe I was drunk, maybe her drunkenness had rubbed off on me, maybe she turned me into a cocky bastard; whatever the reason, I grinned at her assessment, feeling damn fucking proud of myself.

**BPOV**

"Why do we need these lame traditions, anyway?" I wailed petulantly, barely resisting the urge to stomp my foot like a spoiled brat.

Alice let out a sigh and said in a forced calm manner, "Bella, we have been through this. You were the one who said you wanted to marry Edward keeping with all the traditions this time. So a big part of tradition is he can't see you before tomorrow, when you exchange the vows."

I pfffted, and then proceeded with repeating the argument I had constructed up in my head. "Allie, we're already married. This is the renewal of our vows. It's not like he has never seen me dressed as a bride before. I let you hide my dress in your apartment. The least you can do is let me stay with him tonight. Tomorrow is our first anniversary, Allie; I want to be able to wish him at the stroke of twelve."

I knew I wasn't playing fair but Alice never played fair with her big puppy dog eyes either.

_Payback's a bitch, Alice._

I was just congratulating myself on coming up with such an emotional point to help my case when her face brightened and she smiled widely at me. "How about you call him to wish a _Happy Anniversary_ from your parents' place? That's the perfect solution."

I looked dismally at the clock on the dashboard. It was only 8.00 p.m. and our wedding ceremony was scheduled for 1.30 p.m. the next day. Why on earth do I have to be separated from my husband for more than seventeen hours, was beyond me.

_Fucking traditional bullshit!_

Giving up, I pushed open my door and hauled my ass out of the car. When I reached my parents' doorway, I turned around to wave at Alice and then got inside for the long and lonely night ahead of me.

**-OTC-**

As I jolted awake from my sleep, I tried to make my eyes focus in the darkness while my hands searched blindly for him.

_Where is Edward? Did he get up? What time is it?_ The questions ran through my head before the cloud cleared up from my brain and I remembered.

It was the night before our wedding and because I was a glutton for punishment, I had wanted everything to be according to tradition—meaning no seeing Edward before show time.

It was then that I heard it—the sound of something hitting my bedside window—the sound that must've woken me up.

For a moment, I considered the crazy idea screaming like a girl on fire, just to wake everyone else up. But then, gathering all my courage (and I have plenty, mind you), I parted the curtain and peeked downwards to see what was causing the noise. And then a startled giggle burst out of my mouth.

I glanced at the clock in my phone. 11.52 p.m.

_Is he mental?_ I questioned myself before slowly parting the curtain all the way and opening the window just a crack.

Then, I looked down to see the ridiculous smirk on my husband's face. When he saw that I was watching him, he waved at me before starting to climb the tree beside my window.

_Oh fuck! What is he doing? Is he out of his mind? God, please don't let him fall. I don't want to have to wake my dad up to say that my husband had to be rushed to hospital because he fell down a tree, trying to sneak into my room._

I must have closed my eyes shut, not wanting to witness the gruesome fall I knew was going to happen, because I missed his entrance. It was the fingers tapping the tip of my nose that alerted me to the fact that he was inside my room.

I slowly opened my eyes, took in the grinning man sitting beside me and then attacked him. The force of my attack sent both of us tumbling down on the bed. Edward caught me in his arms and then rolled us, trapping me beneath him in the process. Then he kissed me.

I was kissing his face, his lips, his cheeks, his jaw, his throat—anywhere I could reach—and in between my kisses; I managed to ask him, "What are you doing here?"

He raised his head from my chest and smiled. "I couldn't, not wish my love a happy anniversary, now, could I?"

Just then my phone chimed, letting us know that it was August 13th, officially our wedding day.

I wound my arms around his neck and brought him down for a kiss. When I had managed to make him breathless like me, I said, "Happy anniversary, Edward. I love you."

"I love you too, baby," he said, "Happy anniversary, Mrs. Cullen."

His hand started travelling down my stomach, while the feel of his hardening body told me exactly how we could celebrate the night.

However, because the universe hates me, or maybe because we were stupid to try this with my parents in the house, a knock sounded in my door.

Gasping, I pulled away from his mouth and looked frantically around me for a hiding place.

_No girl wants to get caught by her parents while she's planning to fuck the shit out of her husband. I mean, talk about mental scarring for all of us._

"Just a minute," I called in my most normal voice and then brought Edward down on top of me before pulling the covers up, hiding all of him and most of me (well, all of me except for my head) out of sight.

When I was sure that his hair wasn't visible from under my chin, I called them to come in, hoping like hell that they'll miss the huge bulge under the cover with me in the darkness.

The door slowly opened and I saw my father standing in the doorway with my mother lurking behind him. He frowned as he casted his glance around my room and then shook his head, as if to clear out his crazy thoughts.

_Maybe my Jedi mind tricks will work and he won't catch Edward._

When I couldn't take the suspense anymore, I asked with as much nonchalance as I could muster, "Hey guys, what is it? Why are you still awake?"

My mom shrugged and said, "Ask your Dad. He kept hearing _noises_ and wanted to _investigate_." I could hear the eye-rolling in her voice.

Before I could find a way to tell them that they were worrying over nothing, dad asked me, "Why are you all bundled up, Bells?" I almost choked on my saliva as I racked by brain for the suitable answer.

I felt Edward's smile against my collarbone and resisted the urge to give him a well-deserved kick to the shin. Instead, I dug my nails on the back of his shirt and then blurted out, "I… umm… I started feeling cold and didn't really want to catch anything before the wedding."

Charlie nodded at my answer and started to walk out of the door. I let out the breath I didn't even notice I was holding.

_Phew! That was a close call._

Just before the door could close behind him, my dad turned around and looked at me and then said casually, "If you don't want to catch cold, you might want to tell Edward to close the window on his way out."

Then he slammed the door shut, leaving me gaping like a fish.

_What the fuck?_

Edward threw off the covers and laughed out loud. I didn't know what the hell I should do. I guess common sense dictated that I should dig up a hole and bury myself in there to save myself from the mortification. But I didn't do that. Instead, I snorted before joining in with his laughter.

_God! We were so fucked up sometimes!_

Of course there was a chance that my father might come back to _investigate_ once again. So after a few—okay, fine, a lot—of kisses and 'I love you's I let my husband slip through the window.

I sighed and laid back down on the pillow that now smelled like him.

_Just a few more hours and then we'll be off to our honeymoon._

**EPOV**

I grinned widely as I looked at the childish glee on my wife's face. She was moving her hand, making the last rays of the sunlight fall on her new wedding band, causing it to glint brightly.

"I love it. I love how amazing this was. And I love you. Did I mention that?" she asked me.

I allowed the last of our family members brush past us, patting us on the backs on their way out and then leaned down to kiss my bride. "Only when you finished your vows." I smirked.

She looked around us and when she was satisfied that we indeed were alone, she reached up and kissed me fully on the mouth. Then she nibbled on my lip and said, "Well, if that doesn't make you believe me, I can show you in detail… tonight, husband."

I willed my dick to calm the fuck down and growled in her ear. "Don't taunt me, Bellarina. I'll make sure you do just that, wife," I said, taking a page out of her book.

She bit her lip and then whispered, "That's what I'm counting on."

_Fuck! Do we really have to attend the reception?_

I was going to suggest her that we run away from our own reception and celebrate privately in our bed, but Alice chose that moment to come out. "Bella, come on," she said, "Everyone's waiting for your grand entrance."

Then she looked critically at Bella's face and sighed. "Did you have to chew off your lipstick already?"

Bella of course looked sternly at me and said in a mock-serious voice, "Damn it, Edward. You had to mess up my lipstick, didn't you?"

_Yes, I sort of sucked most of it off of her lips, but hey, she did bite her lip as well._

I smiled her favorite smile and said shamelessly, "That's just a warning for any fucker in there who even dares to look at you in the wrong way." She blushed and slapped my arm lightly before burying her face in my chest.

Alice sighed again and then said, "I swear it's like I'm the oldest one here. You two are so corny even after a year of marriage that I don't even find it funny anymore."

Then she produced a lipstick from her purse and started to fix up Bella's make up for her.

_That reminds me._ I peeked from behind Alice and mouthed to Bella, "Happy anniversary, baby." She grinned at started to say it back, making Alice huff and then we both burst into laughter. Alice pouted for a second before joining us and then giving us directions on what to do. She quickly rushed off to wait to welcome us into the reception venue, my parent's backyard.

**-OTC-**

This time around, our wedding or Vow Renewal Ceremony (As Bella started to call it at first) was like the first one in many ways but in others it was completely different.

For one, this time, Bella was involved into every little detail. She had said that she wanted to do this on her own terms and I agreed. This was our day and we were going to do this our way this time. Although, if she had promised me a night of hot sex in the end of it, I probably would have agreed to anything.

_But don't judge me. I am a man after all._

Another big decision we made was to get new wedding bands. We were attached to our old ones but there was so many indecisions and memories of awkwardness connected with those that we felt getting new ones was the way to go. So one day, we had gone to a jeweler's store and gave up our old rings to have them melted and fashioned into new matching bands.

We used the same church as before. Hell, we even got the same pastor as the last time. However, this time, the wedding guests included our coworkers and friends with our parents' as well.

_Though, if it was up to me, Newton wouldn't be here tonight._

I tightened my hold on Bella's waist as I eyed the fucker who was watching me dance with my bride with poorly-concealed envy.

Bella shook her head and rested it on my chest before whispering softly, "Hey, you're the one holding me. You're the one who's gonna take me home tonight. Don't let Newton spoil your mood."

I didn't even bother asking her how she knew I was glaring at that asshole. Because she just knew me better than myself, I had already learned that. Instead, I grimaced and asked, "Why did we have to invite that dipshit again?"

She giggled at my annoyed tone and said, "Because he's part of your team. We couldn't leave him out. I don't want you to be marked as the doctor who picks fight with people over his wife."

I raised one eyebrow at her and asked, "Do you doubt that I'd do that if anyone dares to eyeball you?"

She looked at my face and said, "No, I don't. I know that. Now forget about Newton. Tell me you love me."

I felt my lips turn up into a smile and said, "I love you, baby."

She rested her head back on my chest and said, "I love you too. Now dance with me."

I brushed a kiss on her forehead and whispered, "Aye aye, Mrs. Cullen." And she giggled at my poor impersonation of a pirate voice.

_God! I loved that sound._

**-OTC-**

This time when we went to feed each other the cake, Bella took a big piece and then thrust it in my mouth, smearing my chin and nose with frosting in the process. I didn't even think when I wiped the frosting right off my chin and smeared it right back on her lips.

Then I kissed her, sucking it from her surprised lips. I might have ignored the groan coming from my father-in-law but hey, I had married his daughter—twice—so he should be immune to our PDA by now.

When it was time for me to remove the garter, I didn't seek permission like the last time. I simply, put my hands on her thighs and I could feel her shiver through her dress. Looking right into her eyes, I lowered my head and ducked under her skirt. Her sexy legs teased me as I looked up, up, up and finally found the flimsy band—resting on her thigh.

I took my time as I tried to loosen the material from her thigh and just because I could, I placed a wet kiss right above the band, making her inhale sharply.

When among hoots and wolf-whistles, I emerged from under her dress with the garter clutched in between my teeth, her face was cherry-red. She tried to glower at me but the tiny up-turn on the corner of her lip spread quickly and soon she was smiling at me while shaking her head in mock-resignation.

**-OTC-**

Finally at night, when I swept Bella off of her feet and carried her into our room in my parents' house, I had only one thing in mind. I had to have her.

And have her I did, especially after I had removed her dress to find the corset-bound treasure within. Yes, that was probably one of the top ten best nights of my life.

When I shared my sentiment with her—much later into the night—she laughed and asked about the other nine. As I thought it all over, I realized one thing—all my favorite nights were connected to Bella. Because the truth was, she was the best thing in my life.

**A/N: Okay, so I think that was one of the fluffiest chapters I have written so far. :)**

**Let me know your thoughts and leave a review, please?**

**The songs I listened to while writing this chapter are: Take It Off — Ke$ha and Rude — Walk off the Earth. If you haven't listened to those, I suggest you do, right after your review. ;)**

**Until next time.**

**Take care.**

**Ann**


	48. Chapter- 48: My English Boy

**Disclaimer: No copyrights infringement intended. I don't own Twilight saga or any of its awesome characters.**

**A/N: Thanks to everyone who has reviewed, favorited, put on alert or simply... read OTC. You guys make my days a little bit brighter. Thank you.**

**Enjoy Chapter-48 and I'll see you at the end of this chapter! :-)**

**Chapter- 48: My English Boy**

**EPOV**

"Baby, wake up. We're at the airport," I whispered to my wife's ear. In response, she snuggled even more into the car seat. Parking the car a little bit away from the entrance to the airport, I reached with my hand and moved a lock of hair from her face.

She frowned and mumbled something in her sleep. Chuckling, I leaned in and kissed the pout that had formed on her sleeping lips.

She let out a moan before opening her eyes and staring wide-eyed at me. I pulled back and smiled at her. She raised her head to look out of the window and then exclaimed, 'We're at the airport, all ready?"

"You had been out like a light the moment we crossed Forks border this morning, Bellarina. So yes, after a five hours-long drive, we're at the airport," I replied.

She blushed and then muttered, "It's your fault that I got so sleepy. You kept me up late into the night."

I grinned shamelessly and shot back, "I didn't hear you complain though. Maybe when we reach our destination, I'll keep my hands to myself. You know, let you catch up to the sleep you lost on my behalf?"

Her eyes widened and she almost launched herself at me, seatbelt and all. "Don't you dare," she threatened me, grasping a handful of my hair in her hand. "We are going on our honeymoon. So, your hands should belong to me and to me only. I don't need to sleep that much. I'll get some sleep on the plane."

I laughed at her eagerness and kissed the side of her neck and then asked, "Hmm… since you put it that way, shouldn't you be mooning your honey?"

She arched an eyebrow at me and said sarcastically, "Sure. You want me to drop my panties and walk around butt-naked with you from here on?"

The very thought of anyone else seeing her beautiful and perfect ass brought all my caveman tendencies to the surface and I felt a growl building deep in my chest. Quickly, I grabbed her face in my hands and brought her lips to mine in a rough kiss.

After I could sense her body relax against mine, I pulled back from the kiss and softly nipped her lips with my teeth. "You're mine," I whispered hoarsely against her kiss-swollen lips, "And no other fucker will ever see your body except for me."

She smiled and nodded before saying softly, "Now that's the man I fell in love with—caveman and a gentleman all rolled into one."

Shaking my head at her smart-ass remark, I motioned her to sit back and then started the car, driving into the airport to whisk my bride away on our honeymoon.

**-OTC-**

Once we were seated in our first class seats, I turned to face my Bella. There was a huge fucking grin stretching across her beautiful face as she asked me, "We're really going on our honeymoon?"

Chuckling at her enthusiasm, I nodded. She narrowed her eyes and asked again, "And you promise you will stay by my side all the time?"

I smiled before placing a soft kiss on her forehead. Then I whispered, "Forever, love. I will always stay by your side. I promise." She gave a satisfied smile and smacked a quick kiss on my lips.

I was just going to say something about the house where we were going to stay when an old lady—part of an elderly couple—smiled at us and asked from other side of the aisle, "You two are so sweet. Did you just get married?"

Before I could decide how to answer her question, Bella smiled back at her, placed one hand on my thigh and then replied, "No. Actually, yesterday was our first anniversary."

The lady turned toward her husband and said with a poke to his ribs, "See, Simon, _that_ is how you treat your wife. Even after one full year, they look very much in love. You should learn a thing or two from this fine young man."

The poor guy massaged his side and grumbled, "That is because she is not bloody nosey like you. And your 'fine' young man looks like he has just been steam-rolled. I'm warning you woman, if you try to ride me like that and end up breaking your hip, I am not paying for your surgery."

Shocked to hear such stuff coming from the mouth of a senior citizen, I looked at Bella, hoping to find her equally mortified. However, I found my wife giggling soundlessly behind her hand.

As if she could read the question in my eyes, she lowered her hand slightly and then whispered in a low voice, "Sorry. I just couldn't stop myself from imagining their situation."

Smirking at her admission, I whispered back, "Well, you will not hear a single complain from me if you ride me like he thinks you did recently."

She blushed before bringing her lips to mine—silently asking for a kiss, which I granted her with great eagerness—and then she murmured, "How about a demonstration when we get to your parents' place in London?"

And just like that my overeager soldier perked up.

_Damn it! It's gonna be a painful flight._

**BPOV**

When we got in Esme and Carlisle's London home, it was pretty late at night. So all we could do was get settled in Edward's bed and then pass out.

Now, as the morning sun peeked in through the window and hit my eyes, I blinked before opening them fully. Like a very satisfied cat, I stretched my arms and when my left hand hit the body beside me, I stopped and turned to look at him.

In the first light of the morning, Edward looked de-li-cious. With his hair sticking out every which way, the small chest hairs peeking from the undone buttons of his shirt, and the small pout on his lips, he looked fuck-hot.

As if he could feel my eyes ogling him, he moved before yawning like a lion on the Discovery Channel, and then he opened his eyes and caught my shameless staring. A small frown appeared on his face and he asked in a sleepy voice, "Hey, love, why are you up so early?"

I smiled at him and replied, "Because I'm on my honeymoon with my super sexy husband and what are honeymoons for if not for moments like these?"

A satisfied and totally adorable smile stretched over his lips as he held out his arms for me. I launched myself in them and tucked my head into his neck. Placing a kiss on his shoulder, I whispered softly, "I love you, baby."

He slipped his fingers in my hair and then gripped the back of my neck, making me raise my head to meet his eyes. With his eyes locked in mine, he gave me a soft smile and replied, "I love you too, Bellarina."

Wanting to give him a good morning kiss, I situated myself carefully over him, putting my knees on both sides of him, hovering over him in the process and then brushed my lips over his.

What started out as an innocent good morning kiss quickly escalated and soon I found myself grinding against him while he gripped my hips, making sure to rub me in just the right way.

After a few breathless moments, I let go of his lips and he panted next to my ear, "Damn, love, you're gonna make me fulfill my teenage fantasy on the first morning here."

Leaning back slightly, I looked at him with narrowed eyes and asked, "What fantasy?" already hating whoever he used to fantasize about.

He must have seen the insane jealous rage lurking beneath the surface of my calm exterior because he smiled his crooked smile and brought his hand up from my hip to brush his thumb against my lips.

Then he said in a sardonic tone, "I think all teenage boys have that one fantasy. You know the one where they want to sneak their girlfriends up their bedroom and make out? That's the one I was talking about."

I crossed my arms over my chest and arched an eyebrow. "I thought you didn't go too far with Tanya?"

A surprised chuckle escaped his lips and he shook his head. "Not Tanya, baby," he said, "I had no one in particular in mind, actually. I just used to see Em sneak girls into the house while mom and dad were out and wished I could have someone to do that with."

I felt a little sheepish for thinking like that and then offered him an apology. "Well," I started, "you don't have a girlfriend but you do have a wife… in your parent's house… in the bedroom you grew up in. So, you got any ideas, Dr. Cullen?"

He smirked at me and moved his hips a little, letting me feel exactly what his idea was and then he said, "I guess I can think of a few."

"Then I'm gonna try my best to help you fulfill every fantasy you have, baby," I whispered, reaching behind with my hand and letting it rest over his crotch.

He let out a strangled moan before flipping us and then starting to work on undressing us. Just before slipping inside me, he kissed my lips and said, "You _are_ my every fantasy, Bella Cullen."

I wanted to reply to him, I really did, but once we were joined like that, I couldn't make my brain work enough to think of what to say. So, instead of saying anything, I showed him.

**-OTC-**

By the time Edward led me into the dining room, after the second round of loving that morning, we had both worked up an appetite. He went to the refrigerator and tapped the door with his fingers. "I asked the people dad hired to look after the house to stock it up for a week. But if you want, we can go out for breakfast," he offered.

I walked up to him and wrapped my arms around his torso and said, "Thank you for the offer, but I want to cook. It's been days since I cooked for you and I kind of love watching you fawn over my amazing cooking skills. How about we go out for dinner, instead?"

He rolled his eyes at my pompous-ass remark and said, "Modesty becomes you, Mrs. Cullen. But as much as I want to pull your leg, you're right. I've missed your cooking and I was hoping you'd shoot me down and offer to cook for us. And about dinner, I like your thinking, baby."

I smiled at him and went to thank him when he patted my ass with his hands and said, "Now cook me some breakfast, woman."

I gave him a mock-scowl and said threateningly, "Just for that, you're going to slice onions this morning. Now get in here, Cullen."

He took my chin in between his fingers and kissed me soundly before saying, "Watch out, Bellarina, your Chopping Master is now in the house."

With a shake of my head at his smug smile, I followed him into the kitchen.

**-OTC-**

That night Edward got me all dressed up and took me to dine at one of the most romantic restaurants in London—The Delaunay. He acted like the perfect English gentleman taking out his lady love on a date.

Yeah, I said English gentleman because from the moment we stepped out of the house, I noticed a small change in my husband.

No, his eyes didn't glow red like Lord Voldemort, neither did he grow fangs and turned into a bloodsucking vampire. None of that happened. What happened is his accent changed—a lot. He started using words like 'mate' and 'bloody' while talking to others and judging by how he talked to me in his usual manner, I was sure he wasn't even aware he was doing that.

I kept quiet for the time being, expecting to catch him if he was indeed doing that knowingly.

**-OTC-**

On the second day of our honeymoon, Edward took me to Oxford to show me around the place.

Seeing the place, I got an insight into his university life. He showed me the bar where Emmett bought him his first beer on his twenty first birthday, the poor bush where he had thrown up later that night and the broken branch of a nearby tree where he had pushed Em into when he laughed at him.

We had lunch in one of his favorite diners nearby and then he resumed giving me a tour of his life before me.

When we got back home that night, I was in a somber mood. He must have caught on my mood like he always did because when I got up from my seat after dinner, he caught my wrist and tugged until I took the hint and landed on his lap.

Tucking a stray strand of my hair behind my ear, he cupped my cheek in his hand and asked, "What's wrong, love? You've been quiet since we got back. Are you okay?"

I wanted to say that I was fine but I knew trying to hide something from him was a losing battle. So I hesitantly nodded before saying, "I'm okay, really, Edward. It's just…"

"Just what? You know you can tell me anything, baby," he asked, trying to relax me with his words.

Taking a deep breath, I said, "Seeing your life before me was a bitter-sweet experience, that's all."

He furrowed his eyebrows and I could practically hear the questions forming in his head. So I quickly kissed the frown away from his face and then explained myself, "I am glad that you shared this with me. I feel like I got to know you even more today. But at the same time, I just cannot help but feel like I missed so much of your life."

He clasped my face tighter in his hand and asked with confusion, "What do you mean, Bella? _You_ are my life, you know that. You are the only one I love and will ever love."

I smiled softly at his cluelessness and said, "I know that and I love you just as much. But what I meant is that, I wish I could go to college with you, I wish I could go to prom with you as your girlfriend, I wish I could be there to cheer for you when you graduated, I wish I could be the first one to address you as 'doctor' when you finished med school. I wish…"

"What do you wish for, love?" he prompted me.

Sighing at my stupid train of thoughts, I shook my head and said, "I was going to say that I wish we never got separated in the first place, but then I realized that no matter what I wish for, I wouldn't trade the last year with you for anything. Falling in love with you has been the most scary and amazing experience of my life, baby."

He chuckled and kissed me before whispering, "Ditto. I can't tell you how happy I am to have found you, Bellarina." Then he whisked me up into his arms and took me to bed to show me exactly how happy he was.

**EPOV**

The days I spent with Bella in London on our honeymoon were the most amazing ones we had had in a while. We would wake up later than ever in the morning, devour our breakfasts before I would take her out to show her around the city I grew up in. Then we would come back home tired and crash in each other's arms.

The experience of seeing London through Bella's eyes was an incredible one.

The day I took her to Waterstone's Piccadilly, my favorite bookstore, she let out a loud squeal that would have put even my baby sister to shame. And then, she was lost into the world of books. Watching her touch the books with almost a reverent look of awe in her eyes, made me glad to have the idea to bring her there.

After spending hours in the bookstore, I took her to the London Helicopter Centre and hired a sight-seeing helicopter so that she could take in the city all at once. The wide grin she had offered me when I had helped her get strapped in made my heart soar high… just like the clouds surrounding us.

That night, after dinner, I took her to the oldest wine bar in London—Gordon's. She was a bit hesitant to indulge in the alcohol, knowing how alcohol affected her. But after my promising that I wouldn't let her make a fool of herself, she let go of her fears and started to enjoy herself.

By the end of the night, I had to carry my _very drunk_ and _extremely horny_ wife to my parents' home on my back while she kissed and sucked on my neck.

Yeah, she left me a big and bright pink hickey and in return, she had woken up to small hickey's covering her breasts. _What can I say? I am a caveman and I liked marking my bride as mine._

On our fourth day in London, I tried to make it a fun day for her and so I took her to two of her obsessions—Harry Potter and Chocolate.

First, I took her to King's Cross station to show her the Platform 9 ¾ and instantly, she was all smiles and excitement.

_I swear I would never understand her mood swings._

Next stop was Chelsea where I took her on a Chocolate Ecstasy Tour. The way she smiled and kissed me made me want to buy all the chocolates in the world just to keep her smiling like that forever.

After we had sampled any and every type of chocolates we could get our hands on, we returned home with stomach aches. So we remedied that with a bath and chocolate covered strawberries.

_I know we're hopeless._

But according to Bella, chocolate induced coma would be the best kind of coma and I really couldn't deny that statement.

The next day of our stay in London, Bella and I went back in time—well, not really, but that's what she wanted to call it and because I couldn't say no to her, I agreed.

We went to the Greenwich observatory and stepped over the meridian line together. She took a picture of us kissing on the meridian line so that she could say that our love goes beyond time.

_Crazy girl!_

After that, we went to another of my favorite places to visit when I was a kid—the Natural History Museum. There, I introduced her to Aro—the giant T-Rex fossil I had made friends with as a kid. She giggled, before holding the camera and snapping my pictures with Aro.

The next day was devoted to the Royal places. Bella's awestruck expression when I had stopped my car near the Buckingham Palace was something I would remember for some time. She had stared at me with her mouth slightly hanging open before hugging and kissing me soundly in thanks.

The next stop had been the Kensington Gardens. We held hands as we strolled through the garden, kissing and laughing frequently and behaving like newlyweds instead of a couple celebrating their first anniversary.

I had intended to take her to the Electric Cinema—the coziest and one of the most romantic movie theatres in London. It was a place where I had wanted to go as a student but due to lack of a perfect companion, I had to hold back. _But not anymore._ Having my beautiful wife with me, I was ready to go and enjoy the movie with her.

However, after collecting the tickets, we had seen that we had hours to kill before the show started and Bella pleaded with me to get on the London Eye, the famous Ferris wheel. Not knowing why she wanted to do this cheesy shit, I agreed and bought us tickets. Soon after we were on the ride, I had realized the reason behind her motivation.

She had grabbed me by my hair and kissed me fervently. "What was that for?" I had asked, feeling breathless.

She had laughed and said, "I wanted to make out with my sexy as fuck husband on the London Eye." Hearing her reasoning, I resumed our kissing.

_Hey, I would do anything to make my wife smile, even share Public Displays of Affections with her._

**-OTC-**

On the last day of our honeymoon, I woke my beautiful Bella by raining kisses on her bare back as she slept, spooned in my arms.

When my lips reached the nape of her neck, she let out a moan before trying to turn in my arms. As she turned to face me, she threw a questioning glance at the still dark sky outside the window and asked in a groggy voice, "Baby, what's wrong? Why are you up so early?"

I chuckled at her sleepiness and smoothed down a few tendrils of hair down her back. Then I said, "It's our last morning in London and I was wondering if you wanted to watch the sunrise with me."

By the end of my offer, I was feeling a bit unsure, having second thoughts on whether she wanted to sleep in before heading back to life with a regular job or not.

But I didn't need to worry because a shy smile graced my girl's lips as she bit her bottom lip and nodded. "That sounds amazing. Let me get dressed."

Shaking my head, I asked her not to bother. I put on a pair of boxers and I was ready. I helped her out of bed and then wrapped the bed sheet around her.

Together we walked out of our room to the sun room, where I made her sit on the settee by the bay window before joining her and wrapping my arms around her from behind. Sitting there, with my beautiful wife in my arms, and watching the sky turn red as sun rose to signify the beginning of a new day, was one of the most peaceful and contented moments of my life.

When the first rays of sun started to obliterate the darkness of night, Bella shifted and tilted her face to look into mine. In a soft whisper, she said, "Thank you."

Furrowing my brows in confusion, I asked, "What for?"

She smiled and replied, "For giving me the most amazing honeymoon, for being the sun that removed all the darkness of loneliness from my heart, for loving me, for being my husband… just… for being you. I love you."

I chuckled at her train of thoughts, because what she didn't know was that I was the lucky fucker for having her in my life. I opened my mouth to contradict her when she giggled and as an afterthought added, "And for your sexy as fuck accent."

_Wait, what?_

"What accent?" I asked feeling utterly confused.

_I didn't have an accent, did I?_

She shifted to face me fully and gave me a strange look. "You don't know that you have a sexy English accent?"

"NO!" I exclaimed, vehemently shaking my head for emphasis. I knew that I used to have one, but I thought I had learnt to hide it before deciding to move to the US.

With equal fervor, she contested me and said, "Yes, you do. I noticed it the moment we set foot on English soil. Even last night, at the movies, you called a guy 'Mate'."

I felt my eyes widen and asked sheepishly, "Really? I had no idea I was doing that. Why didn't you tell me about it before now?"

A small giggle passed her lips and she said, "Because I find your accent sexy as fuck."

I started to grin at that when she continued, "You know, when my dad told me about your English upbringing, I thought you'd turn out to be a British snob."

I tightened my hold on her and lifted her to make her sit on my lap. Then I nuzzled her hair and asked in a perfect English accent, "What do you think now?"

She gasped, letting me know exactly what I was doing to her, and said, "Now… now I think that… you're my sexy English boy."

I bit her ear softly and prodded her again. "And?"

"And I think if you don't fuck me right now, I might spontaneously combust," she said.

I chuckled, knowing when she cussed like this she meant business, and whispered in her ear, "Now we don't want that, do we?"

Then I went to lift her up in my arms, intending to carry her to the bedroom. But she stopped me. With her hand clasping mine over her stomach, she said, "No, I don't think I can hold on till you take me to the bedroom. I want you here and now… before the English sun."

A possessive growl left my mouth as I took in her words. Quickly tearing off my boxers out of the way, I slipped inside her from behind, all the while keeping the bed sheet firmly wrapped around her.

As we moved in synchronization, she moaned, letting her head fall back over my shoulder. I placed a kiss on her forehead before whispering against her skin, "I love you, Bellarina."

She panted out the words "Love you too," before moving her hips and taking me further inside her. Soon after that, we were grasping at each other, proclaiming our love as we jumped off the cliff together.

When she could get enough air into her lungs again, Bella turned her head and kissed me like her life depended on it. Then with a sweet smile stretching on her face, she whispered, "Who knew English boys could be so sexy?"

I growled before attacking her with my lips.

_Who knew my brat could be so fucking amazing?_

**A/N: So, that was the honeymoon. Good? Bad? Or just meh?**

**Leave me your thoughts and review, please?**

**About the places mentioned above, yeah, I researched for such places in London and according to Google, they are real. So, if you have anything to say about that, contact Google. :P**

**The songs I listened to for this chapter are: ****_Good Life- One Republic_**** and ****_Marchin' On- One Republic_****. If you haven't listened to them, review and then go and listen. I think the second song captures their married life pretty well, don't you?**

**Until next time.**

**Take care.**

**Ann**


	49. Chapter- 49: Knock, Knock

**Disclaimer: No copyrights infringement intended. I don't own Twilight saga or any of its awesome characters.**

**A/N: Thanks to everyone who has reviewed, favorited, put on alert or simply... read OTC. You guys make my days a little bit brighter. Thank you. **

**Enjoy Chapter-49 and I'll see you at the end of this chapter! :-)**

**Chapter- 49: Knock, Knock**

**BPOV**

The days after our return from our honeymoon passed pretty quickly. With our days full of work and evenings spent in the company of our friends and families, life was pretty awesome and before we knew it, we were approaching the week of the joint Hale and Cullen wedding.

If you think that being the maid of honor for one bride sounds really hectic then you should try being maid of honor for two bridezillas. Thankfully, Rose and Alice had decided to pick the same wedding colors—otherwise, I would have been forced to change my shit in between the ceremonies.

_Yeah, big whoop!_

In the weeks preceding their joint weddings, I had had to stop Rosalie from murdering Emmett for knocking her up and making her resemble a whale in her wedding gown, then have Edward stop Em from ordering male strippers in an attempt to cheer up Rose, and finally, I had to stop Alice when she decided that she had to have live doves place the rings on her and Jasper's fingers.

_You cannot train doves to fly and put rings on your fucking fingers!_

Among all the wedding jittery couples, only Jasper seemed to be keeping his cool … well, until I found out that for his bachelor party, he wanted to have a zombie-walk with Edward, Emmett, Austin, Ben and some of his college-weirdo buddies.

It took Alice's yelling and crying and finally threats of no sex from me and Rose to make Edward and Emmett lighten up and stop that drama.

Now as I stood behind Rose, arranging the train of her dress, she arched her back, smoothing her hand over her heavily pregnant belly. "Urgh! I look like a fucking whale, don't I?" she whined … for what seemed like the thousandth time in the past ten minutes.

Like the cool, calm and understanding best friend I was, I went to soothe her frayed nerves again. "No, Rose. You look beautiful," I said.

As if on cue, her eyes widened and she exclaimed in a panicked voice, again for the thousandth time, "What if I trip on my way down the aisle and the kid just bounces right out of me? I can't even see where I'm stepping now-a-days."

Again, I was cool as a cucumber as I said in a reasoning tone, "Kids do not come bouncing out of their mommies, Rose. You know that. You're gonna be fine, I promise."

She nodded, and then moaned, before plopping down unceremoniously on the chair I had asked Edward to place in the room for her. Just as I was congratulating myself on calming down the mother-to-be-bride, the other one started whining. "What if Jazzy realizes I'm not worth it and doesn't show up?"

_Oh for fuck's sake! It would be easier to just empty the barrel of my Glock in my brain than keep up with this shit!_

Cursing the day I had agreed to be Alice's bridesmaid, I walked up to my sister-in-law and managed a smile. "Allie, Jazz loves you. He's already in the chapel. So don't panic, okay?"

She nodded before starting to worry over the choice she made for the reception band.

_Like that matters!_

I was getting to my wit's end when a soft knock sounded on the door and I almost ran to open it, hoping for some semblance of sanity.

"Hey, baby," my handsome husband started before noticing the look of crazy on my face, and then he addressed the other two women in the room, "Ladies, I hope you don't mind if I steal my wife for a few moments."

Then without waiting for them to agree, Edward grasped my hand in his and tugged me out in the darkened hallway outside the brides' room before closing the door firmly behind him.

He cupped my face in both of his hands and stroked my cheek lightly with his thumbs. Then he asked, "What's wrong, love? You look like you're about to cry."

I leaned into his touch and closed my eyes, savoring just being held in his arms for a moment. Then I whispered, "Promise me that you'll kick my ass if I accept to be a bridesmaid in my life, ever again."

He chuckled and hugged me close, saying, "Now I cannot do that. You know how much I love your ass."

I snorted and poked his ribs with my fingers. "All right, Mr. Smirky-_ass_, what do you want?"

He tried to assume an innocent look as he asked in a hurt voice, "Can I not just want to hold my wife in my arms for a moment?"

Calling him out on his shit, I shook my head and said, "You could, if you didn't look like you're bursting to say something … right about now."

He blushed, the tips of his ears turning a light shade of pink, before he blurted out, "I bet Emmett that I could get you to make out with me, even if you're too damn busy with Rosalie and Alice."

I quirked an eyebrow and asked, "So…?"

"So, can I? I mean, will you?" he stammered, making my heart glow with love for my adorably sexy husband.

Instead of answering him, I threw my arms around him and brought his face down to mine, and then I kissed the hell out of him. Pressing him against the hallway wall, I rubbed myself against his body, already feeling what I was doing to him. Sucking his lip into my mouth, I let it go with a 'pop' then I whispered against his mouth, "I shall."

A wide-ass grin spread across his face as he watched me saunter back into the room where my friends were having mini-panic attacks.

Just before closing the door, I chanced a look at him to see him lick his lips, letting me know I would get good loving that night.

**-OTC-**

"Emmett Cullen! I swear if you let go of me, I'm going to kill you," the blushing bride from moments ago thundered over the soft wedding music playing in the background. Turning my head from my mother-in-law, I looked at the couple on the dance floor.

Rosalie had Emmett in sort of a head-lock as she tried to dance without tripping over her feet while a few feet away from them, Alice tried to do a robot dance for Jasper's benefit.

_What kind of crazy shit love makes us do!_

I felt a hand on my shoulder and turned back to face Esme. "Are you okay, dear? I am sure those two managed to stretch your last nerve with their craziness."

I laughed lightly at her correct assumption and said, "I'm fine, Esme. Yeah, they were a handful for the last few hours, but I'm just glad that everything went without a glitch."

She joined in my laughter and nodded towards the far end of the dance floor, where Edward was dancing with Rose's little cousin, Lily. "Even little Lily seems to be enjoying herself," I heard her say. But my mind was locked into the visions of future where Edward might dance with our kids some day.

_Whoa! Did I just think about us having kids? What is wrong with me?_

As if he could feel my eyes on him, he looked up from the little girl and winked at me. Blushing, I peeked at my mother-in-law, only to find that she had discretely moved away to let me ogle my man in peace.

_Smart woman._

With a smile on my face, I stood up and approached the handsome man who was my husband and asked the little girl softly, "Can I have a dance with Mr. Edward, Lily?"

Little Lily giggled and said, "Sure, Miss Bella," before hopping down from where she was standing on Edward's shoes and running away to her mother.

Holding his hand out to me, Edward asked, "So shall we dance, Miss Bella?"

I nodded, placing my hand on his. He wrapped his arms around me and then as if we weren't close enough, he lifted me to make me stand on his shoed feet.

A startled giggle left my lips and I started to protest, "Hey, I'm heavy."

He snorted and kissed me, effectively shutting me up. Then he smirked down at me. "You're not even the least bit heavy. Besides I want to be close to you, _Miss Bella_."

I shook my head at his cheesiness and said in his ear, "I prefer Mrs. Cullen, if you don't mind."

With a groan, he crushed his lips to mine, telling me how much he loved the sound of my name with his actions.

Just as I was starting to enjoy the kiss, a small shriek sounded from somewhere behind me, followed by Emmett's loud voice exclaiming, "Shit, Rosie, you just peed yourself."

Then a loud smacking sound came and then … pin-drop silence.

I quickly pulled away from Edward and looked behind me, only to find Rose staring with a horrified expression at her feet and Em rubbing the back of his head, where she must have smacked him. Then she looked up and all hell broke loose.

In a matter of seconds, we bid the guests goodbye and then Rose was whisked away in the bridal car—Em's jeep—to the hospital with all of us following close behind.

Baby Cullen seemed to be eager to join the parents' wedding celebrations.

**-OTC-**

After almost four hours of my wiping Rose's sweaty brows, her cussing Em the fuck out and Emmett's calmly handing her ice chips, Aria Isobel Cullen took her first breath and screamed her little lungs out.

Now, as I stood beside Rose's hospital bed, I grinned down at my best friend. "She looks just like you, Ro. Who the fuck knew such a little person could make so much of a big difference in our lives?"

She shook her head in mock admonishment and said with a tired smile, "You better hold your cussing tongue, Bell. I don't want my daughter to follow the footsteps of her godmother and make 'fuck' be her first word."

"Hey, now, 'fuck' was _not_ my first word," I started to pout when her pervious comment caught my notice. I gasped and asked, "Godmother? You really want me to be her godmother?"

She rolled her eyes and asked with a huff, "Where else am I going to find some crazy bitch who is gonna love my kid to death? Of course you're her godmother. Hence the middle name Isobel."

I leaned down to give her an awkward hug and whispered, "Thanks, Rose. I love her already."

She patted my shoulder and whispered back, "I know you do, Bell."

Just then Alice rushed into the room and said, "You guys, you won't believe how cute the guys look with Aria."

Rose turned to give her an apologetic smile. "Alice, I'm so sorry. I ruined your honeymoon."

Alice shook her head and gave Rose a hug before saying, "I'm glad I didn't miss my niece's birth. Jazzy and I can go on honeymoon whenever we want to. This is more important."

Then she pulled both of us in a hug once more, with a typical Alice like squeal and for once, instead of being bothered my it, I joined in with her.

"Oo—ho, I want a hug as well," Emmett's loud voice boomed from behind me, making us let go of our huddle-like hug.

"I'd hug you, Em, but my hands are kind of full right now," a soft voice said sarcastically.

I turned to look at my husband and the sight that greeted me almost made me ovaries sing fucking hymns.

There he stood—in all his sexy Adonis-like glory—with a little bundle of pink held delicately in his arms. He brought his hand up to move the blanket away from Aria's face when one of her tiny hands fisted his finger tightly, making me melt inside.

"Bet you want one now." I was brought out of my Bell-o like moment at the sound of Rose's snicker in my ear. Instead of rolling my eyes at her like I always did in such situation, I sighed.

_Who knows? Maybe I do want to have little Edwards running around soon._

**EPOV**

Recently I had watched something strange happening to my wife. No, she didn't sprout wings and start to fly. No, it was like she would get sucked into daydreams. First time it happened was the day Aria was born.

After that, Bella would just sit and get lost into her own thoughts some times. I desperately wanted to ask her what was wrong, but I also didn't want to seem like a prying husband. She would tell me when she was ready, she always did.

It wasn't until two weeks after Aria's birth when she shared her thoughts with me, rendering me speechless in the process.

It was a long-ass day at work and I was ready for it to be over so that I could go home and bury myself inside my loving wife when the main character of my lust-induced fantasies knocked on my office door.

I looked up from my seat at the desk and smiled when I saw Bella on the other side of the door. "Come in," I said, while motioning her inside.

She walked inside, hesitated for a moment, and then turned around and flipped the switch to close the blinds. Then she just stood there, looking all uncertain.

I was quickly out of my seat and standing before her, holding her face in my hands. "Bella, baby, what's wrong?" I asked.

She opened her mouth, closed it, opened it again, and then closed it once more. Then she placed her hands over mine and closed her eyes. Taking a deep breath, she opened her eyes; letting those dark chocolate pools look right into mine.

When I was getting ready to ask her if she was okay, she blurted out, "Knock me up."

_What the…?_

Feeling confused by the moment, I scrunched up my eyebrows and asked, "What do you mean? Baby?"

She took a deep breath and let it out slowly before biting her lips. With her eyes trained on mine, she said once again, "I want you to knock me up."

I was about to ask her to repeat herself when she threw her hands up in the air in exasperation and exclaimed, "Jesus, fuck, Edward. What part of 'knock me up' do you not get? I want to have babies with you. I want little Edwards running around and you looking fucking adorable holding them in your arms, okay? Did I make myself clear enough?"

Grasping her shoulders in my hands, I shook her lightly, making her stop her rambling. Then I took her chin in between my thumb and forefinger and asked softly, "Is that what you've been thinking about, love?"

She let her head rest on my chest and nodded. Then in a quiet voice she replied, "Yes. At first, I thought it was nothing, just a phase that will pass but I was wrong. Seeing you with Aria, I want that, Edward. I want to be the proud wife, smiling as her husband cooed at their kids. I want to have a family with you."

Then she lifted her head from my chest and looked at me, as if my face held the answers to all her questions. "Do you think we're ready for that?"

I felt a soft smile taking over my face as I leaned down to place a kiss on her forehead. Then I said in a very matter-of-fact tone, "If you think that you can handle all that adorableness of me, holding our kid, then I think we are ready."

She lightly slapped my chest before turning her hopeful eyes on my face. "Really? You want to start trying for a baby?"

Offering her a cheeky grin, I said, "Why the hell not? Though I must say, I want a few little Bellas thrown into your mix of little Edwards."

She giggled and nodded. "I'll see what I can do about that, Dr. Cullen."

Snaking my arms around her to hold her close to me, I whispered against her lips, "So when do you want to start on our new adventure, Mrs. Cullen?"

She smiled into our kiss and rubbed against me, making me let out a low groan, and said sweetly, "How about right away? I'm supposed to get my prescription refilled today. How about I don't get the pills and give your swimmers a chance to grab hold?"

Taking hold of her ass in my hands, I carried her to my desk, saying, "That sounds like a fucking plan, baby."

As she sat on my desk, running her hands over my chest and pulling on my scrub top with deft fingers, she grinned at me. "_Fucking_ plan is right, Cullen."

Just as I was about to pull down my pants and slip inside her warmth, my pager went off, making me growl at the piece of shit technology.

She snorted at my impatience and placed a kiss on my Adam's apple before hopping down from my desk. "I expect you to continue this when we get home, Dr. Cullen," she said, and then with a wink, she left my room, leaving me with a freaking hard-on.

_Fuck! That woman's gonna be the death of me!_

**BPOV**

That night, when we got home, Edward loved me—sweetly at first and then fervently, letting the passion take over.

Before I could pass out in his arms with our limbs tangled together, I felt him place a kiss on my naked shoulder and then he whispered in my ear, "We'll make beautiful babies, Bellarina."

Sighing at the image his words brought to my mind, I burrowed further into his embrace and murmured, "I believe you might be right about that, Smirky," before letting sleep take over and allowing pictures of little kids with bronze hair and green eyes invade my dreams.

**A/N: So … one more chapter and then the epilogue left. I'll be sad to see this story end, but I think it's time to move onto a new adventure with another Bella and Edward, don't you?**

**The song for this chapter is ****_Feel Again by One Republic_****.**

**Let me know your thoughts and leave a review, please?**

**Until next time.**

**Take care.**

**Ann**


	50. Chapter- 50: What I Am Thankful For

**Disclaimer: No copyrights infringement intended. I don't own Twilight saga or any of its awesome characters.**

**A/N: Thanks to everyone who has reviewed, favorited, put on alert or simply... read OTC. You guys make my days a little bit brighter. Thank you.**

**Enjoy Chapter-50 and I'll see you at the end of this chapter! :-)**

**Chapter- 50: What I Am Thankful For**

**BPOV**

Edward and my second thanksgiving was very different from our first.

For instance, we didn't go to Forks to celebrate the holiday with our parents. Rather, we had opted for hosting the thanksgiving dinner in our Seattle penthouse. Because Aria was still very young, everyone had agreed to come out here instead of the other way around.

The other thing that was very different from the last year was the lips that were ghosting over my bare back right now.

I hummed and turned around to face the grinning face of my husband.

"Good morning, love," he said, pressing a kiss on the tip of my nose.

I felt a broad smile stretching over my face as I wound an arm around his neck. Placing a kiss at the corner of his mouth, I replied, "Good morning, baby. Did you sleep well?"

He smirked and let his hand travel farther down my back before stopping right above my ass. Then like the cheeky asshole he was, he said, "I would have, if my wife hadn't attacked me in the middle of the night."

I pouted and said with a huff, "As if you didn't enjoy that as well."

He smiled his crooked smile at me before pressing himself closer to me, letting me feel him harden against my thigh. "I believe that answers your question, Mrs. Cullen?" he asked cheekily.

I pushed his chest, making him roll over, and then climbed on top of him. Just before guiding him inside me, I gripped him in my hand and said in a breathy voice, "Yes, it does, Dr. Cullen." And then he was inside me, creating the magic we always did so damn well together once again.

**-OTC-**

After our morning round, I managed to drag myself out of bed and start on the preparations for the day ahead. With a new baby, Rose didn't have any time to help me out with the cooking. So when Alice had volunteered to help me out, I gladly accepted.

"This one smells amazing, Allie," I told my sister-in-law as I took the pie she had made out of the oven.

She smiled at my praise and said, "Thanks, Bella. Jazz loves that recipe. So I figured I would give it a try."

I laughed at her domesticity and said with a wink, "You may have to share that recipe with me as well."

With her tinkling laughter following behind me, I went to put the turkey inside the oven. When I was done, I was about to start on the salads as Alice asked, "Bella, did you arrange the rooms for our parents? Rose said her and Jazz's parents are going to stay with her and Em, something about wanting to spend time with their granddaughter. What about your mom and dad and our parents?"

I smiled at her and said teasingly, "Relax, Allie. They're gonna stay with us. No one wants to be holed up with the newly married couple."

She blushed at my insinuation and went to say something else when it hit me.

_Shit! I didn't clear out my old bedroom for my parents!_

Before she could say anything else, I turned to look at her with wide eyes and said, "Oh fuck, Alice. I forgot to clean the room for my parents."

She put her hand on my shoulder, saying in a soothing voice, "Bella, Bella, listen. It's all right. You don't need to panic. We have all the cooking done. The turkey's in the oven and I'm going to stay right here and keep an eye on it while you go and clean it all up. How about that?"

With a relieved sigh, I hugged her. "Thank you so much. I owe you one, Allie." And then sparing a glance at the oven, I almost flew up the stairs, praying to be done in time for our parents to show up.

**-OTC-**

I was clearing out the bathroom cabinets when I came across a bottle of my strawberry shampoo. "What are you doing here?" I muttered before walking out of the bathroom, bottle in hand, intending to put the bottle in Edward and my bathroom.

Seeing a shampoo bottle already sitting on the vanity, I decided to put it in the cabinet for now. The moment I wrenched open the cabinet, I frowned.

There, sitting in front of me, was a full stock of tampons whereas it should be half empty by now. Thinking hard, I counted the days… once… twice… thrice… and once more and then I felt my legs start to shake violently under me.

_Could it be? Can I be? Oh fuck!_

Somehow in my shocked haze, I managed to sit on closed toilet lid. Before I knew it, I had pulled out my phone, texting Edward with incoherent words.

_Come over, right NOW! EMERGENCY! ~~~Bella~~~_

Then I waited for him to come to me from Rose and Emmett's home across the hall where the guys had gathered to watch the football game.

Within minutes, the door flew open and before I could do anything more than stare, I was wrapped tightly in my husband's strong arms.

"Baby, what's wrong? Are you hurt? Why are you crying?" he asked, frantically looking all over me, most probably hoping to find the source of my distress.

I raised a shaky hand to wipe the tears I didn't know were falling down my cheeks and sniffed, then pressed my cheek against his chest. "E—Edward," I said in a trembling voice, "I think it happened."

"What, love? What's happened? Tell me, Bella. You're scaring the shit out of me," he said, the desperation clear in the sound of his voice.

I pulled back to look into his eyes and said with a deliberate calmness, "I'm late. I didn't notice before now. But now that I've noticed, I don't know what to do."

I could see the moment it registered in his mind, his confusion cleared up and a smile curved his lips upwards as he crushed me to his chest. Then he murmured in my hair, "I'm going to go out and buy a test. I'll be right back, baby."

Because his excitement was so palpable, I felt myself smiling in spite of the fear of the unknown as I said softly, "Get more than one. Rose said she used five to be sure before getting the blood work done."

He nodded, kissed my lips softly and then rushed out of the bathroom.

**EPOV**

I was moving in a daze as I went inside the nearby pharmacy. The old lady who manned the store smiled at me and was about to greet me when I said quickly, "I need the most trusty pregnancy tests, please."

Her smile broadened and the skin beside her eyes crinkled as she asked me, "Girlfriend?"

I shook my head and replied, "No, wife."

Nodding her head in understanding, she said, "My husband was a mess, just like you are right now when he heard of my first pregnancy." Then she motioned toward the rack holding the tests, and before she could offer to help me out, I was already skimming through it all, reading the packs and throwing stuff in the basket she put on my hands.

When I was done, I looked down and saw that I had picked out eight different tests. She chortled and asked, "Eight is a bit much, don't you think, son? Usually three to four positives are enough."

I shook my head, saying, "No, it's just enough. Ring them up, please."

Nodding again, she rung it all up and put them in a bag for me. As she handed me the bag, she said with a smile, "Good luck!"

And I truly hoped luck was on our side.

**-OTC-**

When I walked into our home, I found that our parents had come in my absence and thankfully Alice was keeping them entertained. I shoved the bag of tests inside my jacket pocket and gave my little sister an appreciative nod. She gave me a hug and muttered, "I really hope Bella is done cleaning. I didn't have time to go up and check on her."

Realizing why Bella had gone upstairs in the first place, I replied softly, "I'll go and see if she needs any help. Thanks for helping her out, Al."

Asking our guests to make themselves at home, I quickly went up the stairs to find my wife still sitting where I had left her. I went inside the bathroom and crouched down before her. Then I took her face in my hands and said, "I got the tests, love. It's time to find out the truth."

She nodded and waited for a moment, before letting out a huff. "Edward, you need to go out," she said in a matter-of-fact tone.

I was shocked at the words and frowned as I asked, "Why on earth would I do that? We're supposed to be partners, right? Then why can't I stay with you when you take the test?"

She arched an eyebrow and asked me in a snarky voice, "You want to see me pee on a stick?"

_Oh!_

The light bulb went on in my head and sheepishly, I shook my head.

"That's what I thought," she said, "Why don't you go and wait outside while I take the test? I'll open the door once I'm done and you can stay with me as we wait for the results?"

I looked at her in awe and asked, "How are you so calm right now? I feel like I am gonna freak out at any moment."

A small smile graced her lips as she shrugged before replying to my question. "I'm not calm, believe me. I am freaking the fuck out, wondering if it's a false alarm. I'm scared that I'm giving you false hope. I'm worried that if it's negative we'll both be sad and miserable. I'm all excited to know if we are indeed going to be parents. I'm thrilled to be taking my first pregnancy test."

I started to say something when she smiled and ran her fingers through my hair. "It also helps that you're here with me," she said before pushing me out of the bathroom.

I had to wait outside until she opened the door and held out a hand, silently seeking my support. I grasped her hand tightly in mine, bringing it to my lips and then brushed small kisses across her knuckles.

The following moments when we had to wait for the alarm on her phone to go off was the most excruciating ones in my life. When the alarm finally went off, Bella took a deep breath, squeezed my hand once before standing up.

Together we went up to the sink to look at the tests lying there.

_Positive._

_POSITIVE._

_POSITIVE._

_Pregnant._

_Two lines._

_Positive._

_PREGNANT._

_Pregnant._

All eight tests said the same damn thing. Bella was pregnant and I was going to be a father.

A startled laughter came out of her mouth as Bella turned around to hug me tightly. I wrapped my arms around her slender body and buried my face in her hair. "Congratulations, Mrs. Cullen. We are going to be parents."

I felt her lips stretch into a smile against my neck as she said, "Ditto, baby."

Then I dropped down on my knees, cupped her still-flat stomach in my hands and started placing soft kisses there. In a whisper-soft voice, I greeted my child for the first time. "Hey there, this is your daddy. I know I don't look much like a daddy yet but I promise I will look like a very responsible father when you come out to meet me. I love your mommy very much and I know it's crazy, but I already love you, too."

Bella let out a giggle as she ran her hand through my hair. "You know, Cullen," she said, "if you hadn't knocked me up already, _that_ would so make my ovaries cry out for you."

I raised my head from her stomach and grinned at her before standing up and kissing her lips. Then holding hands, we walked down the stairs to meet our families for thanksgiving dinner.

**BPOV**

When we got downstairs, I got swept up in hugs from our families, and a little part of me liked the fact that they were hugging my child with me as well, albeit unknowingly.

As if he could hear me, Edward turned his head to smile at me from across the room. His eyes quickly dropped down to my stomach before turning a questioning gaze at me. I nodded, silently telling him that it was okay to share our news with our families right away.

_After all, our mothers just need a small incentive to cry a river and this seems like a good enough reason._

After making small talk for some time, I stood up and checked up on the turkey. Thankfully, it was done and so I started laying the table when my mom peeked into the dining room.

"It smells amazing in here, baby-girl," she said, sniffing the air appreciatively.

I smiled at her and said, "Thanks, mom. But Alice made some of these dishes as well. So give her some credit."

She nodded before walking into the room. She looked closely at me and asked with a frown, "Bella, are you okay? You look like you have been crying."

I grimaced.

_Fuck! Out of all the time she could be perceptive she chooses now?_

Smoothing my hair down, I offered her a bright smile. "I'm fine, mom, more than fine, actually. It's just really good to see you after almost a month."

She seemed to buy my act as she pulled me into a hug.

**-OTC-**

Thanksgiving dinner was the usual noisy affair at a Cullen family gathering. Before we could dig into the yummy food in front of us, as per tradition, we all had to say what we were thankful for that year.

Carlisle went first from the head of the table. "I am thankful to have all of you as part of my family and for the little angel who has joined us this year."

From beside him, Esme piped up, "I am thankful for all my lovely children." When Carlisle looked at her imploringly, she smiled and added, "And of course for Carlisle who sometimes is worse than a child."

A round of snickers took over after her speech. Then Charlie, in true Chief Swan fashion, said that he was thankful for shooting ranges to instill fear in sons-in-laws, getting a glower from me.

Just like that everyone said what they were thankful for and soon it was my turn. I blushed before looking around at the smiling faces of all my family members and said, "I am thankful to be a part of such an amazing family and I am thankful to have Edward in my life."

The women all 'aww'-ed at us as I felt Edward drop a kiss on the top of my head.

When it was his turn, Edward wrapped an arm around me, letting his hand rest on my flat stomach, and said in a loud and clear voice, "I am thankful for my Bella and for the family we are about to start."

For a moment, the table grew quiet and it felt like everyone even forgot to breathe. Then Emmett's boisterous voice cried out as he thumped Edward on the back, "Dude! Well done!"

With that the spell seemed to have broken. And soon we were both caught in midst of hugs and pats on the back as all of our family members congratulated us. I could see both our mothers sneaking glances as they wiped their eyes of tears of joy.

When everyone had calmed down, Rose asked the most important question, "So how long have you known this?"

I picked up Edward's hand in mine and looked at his watch. Then I replied with a grin, "About two hours."

Alice let out an audible gasp then with her big hazel eyes widening and looking just like bambi's, she asked, "Is that where you disappeared to earlier?"

Looking shyly up at my husband, I turned my gaze to his sister and nodded.

After that, conversation flowed around us from speculation of the sex of our child to wondering if he or she could be in the same class with Aria.

**-OTC-**

When everyone was about to leave the next day, Esme hugged me to her chest and whispered in my ear, "Thank you, darling girl. You have brought so much happiness in my little boy's life and now you have made all of us very happy."

I was at a loss, not knowing what to say in return. Because, if you think about it, she was essentially thanking me for having mind-blowing sex with her '_little boy'_.

So, instead of saying anything about that, I hugged her back and said, "Thank you for bringing him into my life, Esme."

**EPOV**

As soon as the door closed behind our parents, I was attacked—by my beautiful and pregnant wife. She pushed me against the door and pulled my lips into her mouth in a frantic kiss.

Instinctively, I let my arms wrap around her waist and she raised her legs, first wrapping one and then the other around my hips, bringing us close.

We both moaned as our bodies came into contact. I could feel the heat radiating from her even through our clothes. In between kisses, I asked her, "What is it, love?"

She wrapped her arms around my neck and replied, "Nothing. I just really, really, wanted to kiss my baby-daddy."

I moved my head back to look into her face and asked in a teasing manner, "Just kiss?"

She rolled her eyes before grabbing the back of my head and capturing my lips into a heated kiss once more. Then she said, "Nah-uh. I've wanted to make love to my husband since the moment we saw all the positive tests."

I let my hands grab handfuls of her ass and coaxed her to just flat out say it, "And?"

She huffed and said, "And I want you inside me. Right. Fucking. NOW!"

I grinned, finally getting her to accept it. "With extreme pleasure, baby."

Seizing her lips into another kiss, I carried my love to our bed where I could love her just like she wanted me to.

**A/N: That's the last regular chapter of this story. Only the Epilogue left now.**

**Leave me your thought and review, please?**

**This time I don't have a song rec. Instead, I decided to share with you a preview of what my upcoming writing projects are. So, here goes:**

**1. ****My donation piece for Fandom Gives, a future-take of my one-shot Change My Mind is going to be posted in my profile after the 1****st**** of September.**

**2. ****My new story The Perfect Light is going to start posting from this Friday. I hope to see you all there. :)**

**3. ****I am taking part in the Wonkyward Contest, The Twisted Fairy Tale Contest, The Bandward Contest and TFLN Twific Contest. Be sure to check out the entries and vote. :D**

**4. ****This year I am taking part into Countdowns to Halloween and Christmas hosted by Breath-of-Twilight.**

**5. ****From September 1, I am also going to be posting flash-fics and maybe one-shots for the Twilight25 Challenge.**

**I hope you follow me to my next adventure as well. ;)**

**Until next time.**

**Take care.**

**Ann**


	51. Chapter- 51: Epilogue: Don't Need A Pres

**Disclaimer: No copyrights infringement intended. I don't own Twilight saga or any of its awesome characters.**

**A/N: For the last time, enjoy the chapter guys! :***

**Chapter- 51: Epilogue: Don't Need A Prescription**

**BPOV**

"Edward," I called for the sixth time, trying to shift under the covers.

"Mmmm…" a muffled moan came from the man sleeping soundly next to me and then, he's back in the land of happily-asleep-expectant-daddy.

I pushed his shoulder lightly, hoping he would wake up already. But all he did in answer was to move his arm backwards to wrap it around me.

Yeah, it was a sweet gesture and I loved that he seemed to not want to part from me even in sleep, even when I felt huge like a small hippopotamus. But when it's 3 in the morning and he's not waking up after my calling his name repeatedly, it made me mad as hell.

My frustration finally broke through and I yelled while shoving his hand away from my stomach, "Cullen! Would you wake up already?"

"Wha …?" He woke up with a start and sat up, looking at me anxiously. "Bella, baby, what is it? Are you all right? Is it time? Is Junior okay?" he asked, running scanning my body and surrounding sheets for anything that would indicate I was not okay.

I sighed, immediately feeling bad for waking him up so rudely. Raising my hand to thread my fingers through his hair, I smiled sheepishly. "Sorry I woke you up. I'm fine and from the way your kid's been doing acrobats on my bladder, I bet he's fine as well."

He smiled groggily, as always looking rather proud to be a daddy. "So why did you wake me up? Couldn't sleep?" he asked, laying his hand on my huge bump.

Of course, feeling his daddy's touch our little boy started to move around. I couldn't help but smile as I saw the look of awe on my husband's face. "Can you believe we're going to be parents any day now?" he asked me again.

I shook my head and said, "I just hope he gets used to the idea that nights are for sleep as soon as he gets here. I swear that kid's got his days and nights confused."

He pouted in his totally adorable way. "Don't say it like that. He'll be a good boy, just like his Daddy, won't you son?" he said, cupping my stomach in both hands.

I snorted. "Yeah, right. His Daddy is the epitome of goodness." When he smirked at me, I remembered why I woke him up and said in a pleading voice, "Edward…"

He looked up at me and asked, "What, love?"

"I want to have ice cream," I said sweetly.

He blinked and looked at the alarm clock beside him. "Okay …" he started slowly, "I'll get something on the way back from work tomorrow…"

I shook my head and tried to give him the puppy-dog-eyes. "Now, Edward. I want ice cream right _now_."

He frowned and said, "But, love, it's 3 in the morning. Can you wait till tomorrow?"

I replied petulantly, "No. Your kid's the one who wants it and he wants it now."

The magic words seemed to do the trick because he smiled, got out of bed and started to look around for his pants. "Then that's what he'll have," he said, flashing me a grin.

Smiling back at him, I threw back the covers and started to get up. Instantly, he was at my side, with a restraining hand on my shoulder. "Baby, what are you doing?"

I huffed. "What does it look like I'm doing? I'm going with you," I said, rolling my eyes.

"But, baby, you're supposed to rest…" he started to say. But I stood up, making him stop at the sight of my naked body.

"You didn't seem to think I was over-exerting myself two hours ago. In fact, I remember you liking my movements _very_ much," I said, trying to look sexy.

_Yeah, right, Cullen! As if you'd look sexy with this bulging stomach_, my bitchy subconscious snickered.

Edward ran his fingers through his hair and then said sternly, "Fine, but you stay in the car."

I gave him a mock-salute. "Aye, aye, Captain."

**-OTC-**

By the time Edward found a 24-hour convenience store which thankfully had cookie-dough ice cream, I was sleepy. But when he walked out of the store, holding the ice cream tub like a trophy and with a giant smile on his face, I didn't have the heart to tell him that I wasn't keen on the ice cream anymore.

So I unlocked the car door and stepped out, hoping the cool night air would wake me up enough to have the ice cream.

Edward wrapped his arms around me from behind, hugging both me and Junior at the same time and held out the ice cream tub for me with a spoon. I smiled at him, took a big spoonful of ice cream and plopped it into my mouth and then it happened.

A sharp pain in my lower back, followed by the feeling of something wet tickling down my legs.

"Shit!" I cursed out loud, looking down to see water gathering on the pavement at my feet. I could feel the wet patch on my sundress—the only dresses I could fit into now-a-days.

"What is it, love?" Edward asked, concern lining his expressions.

I tried to smile but ended up grimacing in pain as I experienced my first contraction. "I think my water just broke."

"Fuck! Now?!" he exclaimed, looking both excited and scared at the same time.

This time I managed a weak smile and said, "We should get to the hospital, baby. We're about to meet our baby-boy."

He was in a flash-mode as he quickly got the bag we had stashed in the car for emergencies and laid towels down for me. The he ushered me inside and within moments, we were on our way to the hospital.

It wasn't until he was just a block away from the hospital when he looked at me with wide eyes. "Bella, I just realized something," he said, "We still haven't found the perfect name for him."

I breathed through the pain that was getting stronger by the moment and replied, "It's easy. I've got lots of greats names we can choose from."

He narrowed his eyes at me and said, "Ian, Damon, Dean or names of any other fictional character or celebrities is not on the table."

I pshshawed. "You think that's what I have got?" But inside, I was thinking, _Damn it! What's wrong with the name Ian?_

We were still arguing about names as we walked up to the reception desk. Edward flashed a smile at the receptionist and said in his best professional tone, "Mrs. Cope, can you please have Dr. Carmen Adams paged? Mrs. Cullen is in need of her assistance."

Mrs. Cope looked at me, maybe hoping for an encouraging smile so that she can start chatting, but all I managed to do is grimace as another contraction hits me.

Immediately Edward was at my side, crouching down by the wheelchair he insisted that I sit on and cupping my face in his hands. "Baby, I'm so sorry. It'll be over soon, I promise," he said, brushing his knuckles against my cheekbones.

**EPOV**

After three long hours of labor, during which Bella alternated in between threatening me with a vasectomy and begging me to give birth to our next child, I finally cut the umbilical cord, separating our son from my wife.

The moment I held that little guy and heard him cry out loudly, I felt the pain in my hand resulting from my wife's squeezing vanish. Smiling down at his red face, I carried him up to my tired girl. "Someone is here to see his Momma," I said.

A sob came out of her mouth as she held out her arms for him. Carefully, I placed him in Bella's arms for the first time. She sniffled and kissed his mop of bronze colored hair. "He's beautiful, Edward," she said.

"Just like his Mommy," I replied.

She shook her head at me. "You and your cheesiness. I'm sure I look like a horror show right now."

I checked to see that the Dr. Adams and her team had left us and leaned down to place a kiss on my girl's lips and then said, "You just had my son, Bellarina. To me, you're the most beautiful woman—now and always."

She tried to blink away her tears and said, "I thought this hormone stuff's gonna go away now."

I chuckled at her blaming everything on her pregnancy hormones. Before I could say anything else, there was a light knock on the door. We both turned to see Reneé peeking through a crack. "Sorry to interrupt, but we are all dying to meet the newest member of our family."

Bella smiled and nodded. "Just a minute, Mom. I need to look a little presentable."

"Baby, you're perfect…" I started to protest, but Bella shot me a look to tell me to shut the hell up, and because I valued my life, I did.

Smiling at her daughter and the tiny bundle of blue in her hands, Reneé backed out of the door, closing it behind her.

I started to smooth down Bella's gown, covering her up to make her comfortable when she said in a panicked voice, "Edward, we haven't named him yet! What are we going to introduce him to our families as?"

Finally realizing the reason for the look she had given me, I smiled and shrugged. "How about Baby Boy Cullen for now? That's what Carmen put down on the chart."

She started to shake her head. "No! I cannot possibly let my boy be called just that! He has to have…" Suddenly she stopped and looked down at the now sleeping boy in her arms. In a soft whisper, she said, "Ethan."

I looked at the little person we had created with our love and I had to say, he did look like an Ethan.

Laying my hand against Bella's cheek, I smiled down at my family. "Ethan Anthony Cullen. How does that sound?"

She moved her head to the side, kissing my palm and replied, "I think that sounds perfect."

I couldn't resist kissing her once again and after placing a kiss on my sleeping son's head, I stood up, ready to introduce our little boy to everyone.

**-OTC-**

**Six weeks and two days later**

"Fuck!" I cursed as I looked at my watch, hurrying out of the hospital. I had had worked longer that I had intended to, cutting off precious fifteen minutes I could've spent with my son.

Yeah, to put it mildly, that little guy had me wrapped around his fingers, just like his Mommy.

Driving like a madman, I managed to get home within ten minutes. As soon as I pulled into the parking garage, I was out of the car and pressing the elevator button impatiently.

As I unlocked the door of our penthouse, I heard the sound of my beautiful wife humming softly. Eager to see her, I followed the sound of her voice and came up to Ethan's nursery. And then I was greeted with the most beautiful sight in my world.

There, on a rocking chair, sat my Bellarina, looking tired yet utterly content as she held our son in her arms and hummed him to sleep while he lay spread-eagled on her chest. They were the picture of perfection.

As if she had sensed my presence, Bella opened her eyes and looked up at the slightly ajar door. Seeing me standing there, she smiled and stood up, careful not to wake Ethan up.

Slowly she laid him down in his cot before starting to make her way to me. She stepped out of the room and closed the door behind her and then wrapped her arms around my neck, greeting me home with a sweet kiss on my lips.

"You're late," she said softly in my ear, making me grimace.

"Yeah, the new fucker Montgomery appointed doesn't know jack," I grumbled. She giggled and kissed me once more. "My poor baby."

I tried to give her a pout, the one she couldn't resist, but a treacherous smile broke through my façade.

Shaking her head at my obvious attempt at sympathy, she grabbed my hand and started to drag me toward our room.

As soon as we were inside the room, she closed the door and then pushed me against it, diving right in for a hungry kiss.

In between kisses, I tried to restrain her, not too eager for a cold shower. "Baby, what…" *kiss* "… are you…" *kiss* "… doing? We can't…remember?" I asked, panting heavily.

She just kept on her assault, biting and nibbling on my lips, making me groan like a horny teenager. "Hmm… now there you're wrong, Dr. Cullen," she said in a voice that made me want to throw her in our bed and have my way with her.

"What do you mean?" I managed to choke out the words.

She moves back, letting me look at the mischievous smile playing on her beautiful lips and then whispered, "I went in for my check up today. Dr. Adams cleared me and I was thinking…" she stopped, letting her words sink into my brain as she thumbed the top button of my shirt.

I could feel my dick starting to salute her and singing praises of Dr. Adams, as a huge cocky grin spread on my lips. "Yeah? What were you thinking, love?" I asked while moving her hair away and kissing her perfect throat.

"Shit!" she moaned, clutching me to herself and then said in a breathless voice, "I was thinking we could start celebrating our anniversary a little early."

I smiled against her skin and started to undo the front buttons of her dress, uncovering my lovely bride. "That sounds like an awesome plan, baby," I said, before leading her toward the bed and laying her down.

Soon afterwards, our clothes flew in every direction as I finally entered my safe heaven, my Bella, in more than six weeks. As we started to dance to our own personal rhythm, it felt like I was home at last. Because to me, home was wherever my Bella was… with our son sleeping in the next room.

Once we were both blissfully spent out, Bella suddenly giggled, making me nudge her chin to make her meet my eyes.

As I arched a questioning eyebrow, she smiled and threaded our fingers together, letting our wedding bands move against each other. "I just realized something," she said, wonderment clear in her voice.

"What?" I asked, expecting her to say something crazy.

But as always she surprised me and said in a serious tone, "You're like an over the counter medicine for me."

"What?" I was feeling bewildered by the minute.

She giggled and kissed the tip of my nose before looking into my eyes and saying, "We always treat the over the counter medications like they're not important enough, but just because they're available without a prescription doesn't mean that they're worthless."

I gave her a blank look, still not realizing what she was babbling about. She rolled her eyes and said, "Just like that, when this life as your wife was handed to me, I didn't fully appreciate it. But now I know just how lucky I am to have you in my life… I just love you, Edward."

I kissed away the teardrop that had leaked out of her eye and was making its way down her cheek. "I love you too, Bella Cullen."

She sniffled and opened her mouth to say something but just then a loud whimper came from the baby monitor she had managed to drop beside the bed in her hurry to jump me.

I sighed and shifted our bodies, sitting both of us up. As I pulled on a pair of boxers, Bella put on my shirt and then walked over to me.

Grinning at her, I asked, "Well, Bellarina, shall we go and see what the prescription of our love is wailing about?"

She laughed and looped her arm through mine, leading us toward our crying son. "We shall, Smirky," she said with a wink.

**A/N: And that's it for Smirky and his Bellarina for now.**

**Share your thoughts with me one last time and leave a review, please?**

**I am not going to try to thank you guys because I love each and every one of you who stuck with this madness and read and reviewed every chapter. And that counts for a lot more than a simple 'thanks'.**

**I am, however, going to say that I love the hell out of one person…who started out as a reader…then a reviewer…then a friend…and finally my twin sister. I love you, m0t0b33. You know that, don't you? 3**

**The song rec for this chapter is one my sister loves…Last Ride of The Day by Nightwish.**

**So, I'll see you over at my new story? The Perfect Light has just been published. Head over there and check it out. :)**

** s/10638458/1/The-Perfect-Light**

**It's been a pleasure writing for you guys. :')**

**Take care.**

**Ann**


	52. Outtake-1: The Other Side of The Cookie

**Disclaimer: Twilight Saga is not mine, no matter how much I want to say otherwise. However, Smirky and Bellarina are totally mine. :)**

**A/N: Sorry it took so long to get the first outtake out. As I promised before, I still intend to get at least two more outtakes to you, but if you want any particular outtake, let me know, and I'll try to get them to you.**

**This outtake takes place when Edward was planning to propose Bella. Why did he want to propose to her again?**

**Outtake-1: The Other Side of The Cookie**

**EPOV**

As the month of April rolled into May, I detected a restlessness in my wife that had me wondering what was going on with her.

She seemed a little agitated at times when she thought I wasn't looking. What she didn't know was that I was always looking … always watching out for her.

I kept trying to come up with ways to make her happy. And she did look happy, if not a little lost in her thoughts sometimes.

It wasn't until the first weekend in May that I figured out how to bring my happy Bellarina back. Since it was the weekend, the girls had gone shopping for baby stuff for Rosalie and Emmett's soon-to-be-born kid, leaving us—the three nerds—to have a day with Em's Xbox.

I was busy shooting at Jasper when Emmett took a swig of water from the water bottle sitting on the coffee table and slumped down on his couch.

Jasper hit the pause button and then grinned at Em before snickering. "See, Edward? What did I tell you? Emmett's so tired all the time, I'm getting worried that he's the one carrying the kid, not my sister."

I joined him in the ribbing of my cousin and asked, "Is that so, Em? Want me to check your hormone levels?"

Emmett glowered at us. "Shut up, you asshats. I'm not pregnant. Try being all neutral while pretending to be interested in the wedding shit, and you'll know what the fuck I'm going through."

Jasper frowned at him. "I thought you proposed to Rose because you wanted to marry her."

"I _do_ want to marry her, Jazz," Em replied. "But I don't want her to cut off my balls when I don't agree with the wedding planning she's got going on in her head. Guys aren't supposed to be interested in shit like that."

This time, Jasper gave him an understanding smile and nodded. "I get what you mean, man. Alice keeps urging me to pick between lilac, rosebud and mauve, and all I can see is all of it is fucking _pink_!"

I couldn't help but chuckle at that. Knowing my sister, Jasper is lucky he was not yet being dragged in to see china patterns.

Emmett gave me a grimace and snapped at me. "What are you laughing at, Ed? Just because you got off easy doesn't mean you need to laugh at our misery."

I held up my hands in protest. "Hey! I'm not laughing at anyone. Besides," I added as an afterthought. "In case you have forgotten, dear brother, Bella and I had all this stuff sprung up on us in the span of a week."

Em nodded, looking thoughtful. "I kind of wonder what would BabyBell be like if she was planning her wedding."

Jasper high-fived him and said, "Exactly! Then we would have seen how Edward acts under the pressure."

I shrugged. "I know Bella would never ask me to pick between rosebud and mauve. That's enough for me."

Scowling at my answer, Jasper unfreezes the game and starts shooting at me with renewed vigor.

**-OTC-**

Our discussion kept playing in my head and the what-if scenarios made me remember something—a regret—for not having the life Bella and I deserved.

I remembered how I had given us all the things we should have had, except one thing: a proposal.

_"__I would have liked to have the chance to get down on my knee and ask you to be my wife."_ The words I had spoken so long ago came back to me. That is what I haven't given her.

That moment I realized what I could do to make our life together more meaningful. I was going to get a ring and get down on my knee … I was going to propose to my Bella, not because we were pushed into this marriage, but because I couldn't dream of ever being without her in my life.

Having made up my mind, I called up the man who had known my wife since before I did—Charlie Swan.

He let the phone ring twice before picking up and greeting me in a gruff voice, _"Edward? How are you?"_

"Hello, Charlie," I greeted him back. "I'm fine, better than fine actually, and so is Bella."

"_I should hope so, son, for your safety …_" he trailed off, reminding me of the scary Chief Swan who had given his daughter's hand to me on our wedding day.

This time, however, I stood my ground and said confidently, "I actually called you to talk about Bella."

The frown in his voice was clear as he asked, "_I thought you just said that she is fine?_"

"She is," I insisted. "I need your help with a plan … a plan to make her happy."

"_I'm listening,_" he replied.

Clearing my throat, I said, "I want to marry her again. And I need your help with the proposal. How do you think I should do it?"

"_Back up, Cullen_," he barked into the phone. "_Why do you need to marry her again? Have you broken any of the vows?_"

His questions made me feel like a bug under a microscope.

"No, Charlie! I love your daughter. I would never do anything to hurt her. I don't _need_ to marry her again, but I _want_ to. I want to give her the experience of marrying me because she wanted to, not because she was made to." I knew it was a low blow, but it was high time I spoke up to the Police Chief.

There was silence on the other end before I heard him sigh. "_Fair enough, son. So what do you need my help for?_"

Smiling at the way he changed from Cullen to son, I placed my request. "I was hoping you could give me some idea about how to ask her. I mean you've known her longer than I have …"

His howl of laughter stopped my babbling. _"That's true. But I think, on the question of who knows her better, you might give me a run for my money. Anywho, I'm guessing you know how she loves everything simple?"_

I grinned at the compliment he paid me and nodded before remembering he couldn't see me. "Yes, sir. I do."

_"__Then that's all I can tell you, Edward. Keep it simple, and she'll love it."_

_Not what I had in mind, but at least that rules out elaborated plans with fireworks or flowers_, I thought to myself.

"Thank you, Charlie," I said sincerely.

Just before hanging up, he said softly, "_Thank you for taking care of my girl, son._"

"I'm just taking care of my wife, Charlie. She's my Bella as well," the words escaped me before I could stop myself.

"_Yeah, I suppose she is_," he said and then hung up.

**-OTC-**

The following day, when I was on break, I called my dad for advice. First, he told me how proud he was of me for being sensitive enough to think of this and thanked me for not holding a grudge against them.

When I told him it was water under the bridge, he started shooting ideas at me—all very romantic, but also extremely old fashioned.

I was about to give up when he said thoughtfully, _"You have a music room in your house, right?"_

Rolling my eyes, I replied, "Yes, Dad, you know I had it soundproofed before moving in."

_"__I know. I was just checking. For your birthday next month, your mother and I was thinking of getting your baby grand piano shipped here from London. Do you think it will be possible to get that placed in the music room?"_

As soon as he told me about the piano, it hit me. I could write a song for her and play it on the piano and then, I will drop down on one knee and ask her to be my wife forever.

It was the perfect plan.

"Dad? How soon can you get it shipped?" I asked excitedly.

_"__Maybe within a fortnight. Why? Your birthday is still weeks away."_ he said.

"I know, but I want to play for Bella," I told him.

He might have guessed what I was hoping to get by the said playing, but he kept quiet. _"All right, son, I'll see how soon I can have it here for you."_

I let out a relieved sigh. "Thanks, Dad."

_"__You're welcome, son."_

As I was finishing up the call, I heard the sound of my office door opening and then closing behind me. Before I could turn around to see who it was, I felt two arms wrap around me from behind as the owner of the arms kissed my ear.

A wide smile stretched on my lips as I asked, "What are you looking for, Mrs. Cullen?"

I could feel her smile against the back of my neck as she whispered, "I'm looking for my super sexy husband."

I turned around and took my wife in my arms and asked with a wink, "What for, Bellarina?"

Grinning, she kissed my lips and replied, "I just wanted to tell you something."

I separated our mouths and asked, "What is it, baby?"

"I love you, Smirky."

Those words coming from the mouth of this extraordinary woman made me grin like a fool. "I love you too, Bellarina."

As I claimed her mouth in a heated kiss once more, I mentally promised her that I would give her the proposal she deserved … and soon.

**A/N: Thank you for reading.**

**Leave me your thoughts and review, please?**

**On a happy note, I would like to inform you that OTC has been nominated for a few awards in the TwiFic Fandom Awards this year. The categories are:**

**All Time Favorite Fic, Battle for Dominance, Boomerang Fic (Fic you want to reread again), 5Ever Fic (Fic That should have a sequel), LMFAO Fic, Pee Your Pants Fic, Potential Bestseller, Snuggle Fic, Favorite Swoony Scene and Favorite UNF Scene. A few of my other stories have also been nominated. A huge thank you to whoever nominated OTC for all these love.**

**If you want Smirky and Bellarina to win, go and vote! Round 1 of voting is now open. You can vote once every 24 hour. To vote go to this link:**

** twificfandomawards . blogspot p /vote . html (Remove all the spaces before copying and pasting the link)**

**I do hope you enjoyed this little outtake.**

**Take care.**

**Ann**


	53. Outtake-2: Just Got Prescribed

**Disclaimer:**** Twilight Saga or any of its awesome characters are not mine. But Smirky and his Bellarina are mine. :D**

**A/N: This was the outtake I donated to the Fandom for Christy cause. It's set on the day after their Thanksgiving dinner—the night Smirky and Bellarina learns about the new addition to their family.**

**Just Got Prescribed**

**BPOV**

I smiled into the pillow as I felt soft kisses being placed on my bare shoulder. Pretending to be asleep, I waited ... just to see what my adorably amazing husband decided to do next. His lips trailed down the top of my arm before suddenly vanishing from my body.

A frown came over my face.

_Where did he go?_ I thought.

Just as I was debating with myself on whether or not to just give up and open my eyes to see what he was up to, I felt his lips on my body again—this time, on my stomach.

My mind immediately went to the life-altering discovery we made the day before.

Yes, I, Isabella Cullen was pregnant, and my Rude Adonis, my husband, couldn't be happier about it.

I felt my cheeks heat up as I remembered how we had celebrated our news after our family had left the night before.

Just then, Edward decided to kiss a little lower and started to kiss my hipbone. An involuntary moan escaped my lips and I felt him moving up my body.

He pressed two kisses on my closed eyelids and then brushed his lips across mine. Like a moth to his flame, I abandoned all pretence and started to kiss him back.

He smiled against my mouth. "Good morning, Mrs. Cullen. How long have you been up?"

Instead of blushing at his words, like I would have been a year ago, I boldly wrapped my legs around his hips, bringing us closer.

"Hmm ..." I moaned. "The question, Dr. Cullen, is how long have _you_ been up?"

My innuendo made him smile crookedly at me as he shifted his body, making us align properly. "Too long, baby."

And then he was slipping inside of me, recreating the magic from a few hours ago.

**EPOV**

At work, I felt like a nervous wreck. No, I wasn't worried about work—not at all. My worries were all centered on the beautiful woman I loved more than anything else.

_And that doesn't make you sound the least bit whipped, you whipped dork_, my subconscious rolled his eyes at me.

Truth was I didn't mind sounding whipped for Bella—at least not in my head.

I frowned as I peeked into the ward. Bella's desk was empty. A quick glance around the room told me that she wasn't in there at all.

_Where could she be?_

After looking around our ward, I strolled down toward the pharmacy where I saw Victoria filing her nails as she looked down at something on her lap.

Hoping that she wouldn't try her cougar ways on me, I walked up to her desk and asked, "Ms. Simmons, have you seen Bella?"

"Oh! Dr. Cullen!" she almost screeched and tried to stand up, resulting in the iPad falling from her lap. The headphones attached to the iPad seemed to come out of it and immediately loud moans and strings of cussing started to come out of it.

Out of curiosity, I glanced down at the floor and quickly averted my eyes, feeling the tips of my ears heat up.

There, on the screen was a woman in her forties, lying buck naked with a lot of make up on her face while a younger—twenty-something guy straddled her face and fucked her mouth. It looked like cougars even liked cougar-porn.

Victoria quickly picked the thing up and thankfully, shut the video off. Then she gave me a timid smile and said, "Sorry about that, Dr., what did you need?"

I tried to compose myself and repeated my question.

She looked relieved at my not bringing up the fact that she was caught watching porn at work. "Certainly, sir. She's in the medicine closet. I asked her to help me with the inventory while Rosalie went home for her break."

Giving her a swift nod, I walked away to continue my search for my wife.

The moment I opened the door to the medicine closet, it felt like my heart almost came out of my mouth. Let me tell you why. Because, standing at least four feet above the ground was my pregnant wife, balancing a basket under her arm as she attempted to reach the upper shelves.

A part of me wanted to scream bloody murder, grab her and then run away to hide her away from the world, until a little Bellarina or a little Smirky was running around us. But another part—a more rational part of me knew that any sudden acts on my part may cause her to lose her concentration and make her fall down.

So, I let the door squeak shut behind me and asked in a level voice, "Bella? What are you doing here?"

"Oh, hey, baby. I'm just helping Victoria out. Did you need anything?" she responded with a bright smile on her face.

I casually walked toward the ladder she was standing on and stood next to the base, ready to catch her if she slipped. "Just you in my arms," I said.

She giggled lightly and started to descend the steps. "You're such a cheese ball!"

I threw a smile at her and shrugged. "Yet you love my cheesy ass, Mrs. Cullen." I hoped like hell that she couldn't sense the panic running through me at the moment.

"Can you blame a girl when your ass is so fucking sexy, Dr. Cullen?" She grins at me as she steps down from the ladder and I carefully let out the breath I had been holding.

She stepped in closer to me and wrapped her arms around me. Then, in a soft voice, she whispered in my ear, "Will you please relax now? I'm standing on solid ground. You don't need to freak out about my possible fall."

I grasped her shoulders in my arms and leaned back to meet her eyes. "You knew I was freaking out?" I asked her, not believing my acting skills were non-existent.

She laughed. Pushing a few locks of hair from my forehead she placed a kiss on my jaw. "Edward, when will you understand this? I know you. The moment you stepped inside the room I could hear the tension in your voice."

"Then why …?"

She cut off my words with a soft kiss and then replied to my unspoken question. "I waited to finish my work because I needed to know that you trust me enough to realize that I will never put our child in danger."

"I know that, Bella. I just …" I couldn't find the right way to express my feelings.

She smiled at me. "I know, baby. You love me and that's what triggered your worries. I get that. But tell me that you know I would never risk our baby just to cover for Victoria."

"I know, love. And I love you; both of you."

Her cheeks flushed at my words and she snuggled into my chest as she whispered, "We love you too."

I started to lead her out of the closet. "I scheduled us an appointment with Dr. Carmen Adams in an hour."

She kissed the side of my neck and whispered her thanks. "You know why I love you?" she asked suddenly.

"Because I'm incredibly handsome and an irresistible kisser?" I asked cheekily.

She elbowed me lightly and giggled. "No, Smirky, I love you because you said _us_. I love to be a part of _us_ with you."

Smiling at her, I pulled her to me and kissed her hard before walking inside our ward, hand in hand.

**BPOV**

Exactly ten minutes before our appointment was scheduled, Edward came up to my desk and pulled back my chair. Rolling my eyes at him, I stood up.

We reached the OB-Gyn ward with a few minutes to spare. I was about to sit down at the waiting area when my name was called.

Edward held on to my waist as I straightened up and walked toward the elderly nurse waiting for us at the door.

The nurse smiled at us and led the way to the examination room.

After I was lying on the examination table, a woman in her fifties came in and smiled broadly at the man sitting on the chair beside my bed. "Dr. Cullen, have your nerves steadied, yet?"

Edward chuckled and shook his head. "Not really. I guess I'm still trying to tell myself that this isn't a dream." Taking my hand in his, he continued, "Dr. Adams, may I introduce you to my beautiful wife, Isabella Cullen?"

Dr. Adams laughed as she walked up to shake my hand. "It's nice to meet you, Isabella. I've heard a lot about you."

I scrunched up my eyebrows, not sure what to make of her words.

_Was I that big of a bitch to be talk of the hospital, so to speak?_

She must've felt my confusion because she gave my hand a squeeze and said, "All good things, trust me. My fiancé is the one who told me about you. You work under Eleazer, don't you?"

"Yes …" I started before it hit me. "Are you engaged to Mr. Montgomery?"

She smiled shyly and nodded. "Yes. I know it seems a bit corny for someone in our stage of life, but …"

"No, it doesn't." I interrupted her. "I think it's sweet."

Edward, who looked like a kid on Christmas Eve, piped up, "Yeah, it's good that you found each other. Can we go forward with the scan now, Dr. Adams?"

I turned give him a what's-wrong-with-you look when Dr. Adams laughed. "Sorry, Dr. Cullen, your Bella is very easy to talk to. I'm actually waiting for the nurse to come back with the results of Mrs. Cullen's urine test."

As if she could hear us, the elderly nurse from earlier came out of the bathroom attached to the exam room where she made me pee in a cup before telling me to lie down on the bed. With a big smile on her face, she nodded at Dr. Adams.

"All righty then," Dr. Adams said, rubbing her hands disinfectant. "Isabella, if you could pull your shirt up and push your jeans down a little bit for me that would be great."

I did as she asked and laid there, waiting for the cold gel I knew she was gonna plop down on my stomach.

I shivered lightly as the gel touched my skin and then she started to move the wand-thing on my belly—first this way and then that.

After a few moments, she stopped at a spot and quickly clicked a few buttons on the screen in front of her. Then she looked at us and asked, "You guys ready to hear the most beautiful music?"

Out of the corners of my eyes, I saw Edward nod his head vigorously and all I could do was blink away the sudden sting in my eyes.

With a sweet smile on her face, Dr. Adams pushed a button and the room filled with a thump-a-thump sound. The tears refused to be contained anymore and spilled down my cheeks.

Even through my blurred vision I could see Edward stand up from his seat and lean down to put his forehead against mine. "That's our baby's heart, Bellarina," he whispered against my skin.

I reached up to brush away the tears, needing to see his face. When I could see his eyes, I could detect a little moisture there as well.

"Ahem," Dr. Adams cleared her throat. "Is it your first child?"

"Yes," I responded, my eyes still trained on my husband.

"Then I should give you a moment to compose yourselves," she said, handing me a bunch of tissues to wipe my stomach. "I'll just step out of the room for a bit, alright?"

Before either of us could answer her, she walked out of the room with the nurse in tow.

As soon as we were alone, I felt Edward kiss my forehead. "Thank you so much, love."

"It goes both ways, baby," I replied as I attempted to clean up the gooey material on my stomach.

Edward pushed my hand away. "Let me."

I gave him the tissues and wiped away a stray tear from my cheek.

He carefully and lovingly cleaned me up, trying not to apply too much pressure.

_As if he's afraid that he'll hurt the baby._

The thought made me giggle as I sat up, and he gave me a stern look. "I know what you're laughing about. But I don't care at the moment. Right now my whole world is lying on this table; my family—the most precious thing in my world."

And that brought out the waterworks again. I sniffled and tried to apologize for laughing at him, but he shut me up with a kiss. "I love you, Bellarina. You've given me so much that I feel like a fucking king right now," he whispered against my lips.

I giggled and kissed him once again. "I love you too, Smirky. You have no idea how much."

He rested his hand on my stomach and replied, "I have a pretty good idea." And then without a warning, he dropped down to his knees and kissed where our child resided inside me.

"Daddy loves you as well, baby. Maybe not the way he loves Mommy, but he loves you both equally. I can't wait to hold you in my arms. But until you're here, I'll just have to love your mommy a lot more. So if she gets mad at me and accuses me of being overprotective, will you tell her that I'm just showing my love for both my angels?"

He pressed his ear against my tummy and pretended to listen before giving my tummy a big goofy smile. "I knew I could count on you, kid."

I laughed at his smart-ass ways and blinked away the tears stinging the back of my eyes. Threading my fingers through his hair, I tugged, letting him know that I wanted him to stand up.

When he was standing before me once again, I snaked my arms around his neck and kissed him hard. After I let go of his lips, I kissed his jaw and whispered, "I love your Smirky-ass."

He gave me a big smile and whispered back, "I'll be looking forward to a demonstration once we go home tonight, Bellarina."

I blushed and silently promised myself that I will do exactly that.

**A/N: I would like to thank the organizers for bringing our fandom closer with this attempt, making us feel like a tightly-knit family. My prayers are with Christy and her family.**

**A special thanks to everyone who has donated to this cause, and of course a big squishy hug to my fic twin sis, m0t0b33, for working her magic on this one.**

**Leave your thoughts and review, please?**

**Thanks for reading.**

**I have one more outtake/ futuretake planned for this story. So keep it on alert. ;)**

**If you haven't checked it out yet, check out my latest story, My Perfect Gentleman. :D**

**Take care.**

**Ann**


	54. Outtake-3: A Secret Hunt

**Disclaimer: Twilight Saga is not mine, but Smirky and Bellarina do belong to me. :D**

**A/N: A year ago, I started my journey in this fandom with these two crazy kids. So what better way to celebrate my one year as a writer in this fandom than giving you guys one last peek at them?**

**Enjoy!**

**Outtake-3: A Secret Hunt**

**EPOV**

_"__Do you think I'm vain?"_

Bella's question made me wonder for a moment if it was a trick question or not, but then I shrugged and asked back, "Where did that come from?"

She remained silent for a second before whispering to me like a confession, _"Because I feel like I'm being whiny and vain."_

"Baby …" I started, but she cut me off.

_"__Edward, I'm serious. You know I've never been one of those crazy chicks whining about not having a zero-figure, don't you?"_

Although I have no idea what the hell "zero-figure" is, I nodded. "Of course, love. So you see …"

_"__That's not how I'm feeling now though,"_ she continued, cutting me off once more.

I found myself frowning. Her body was perfect just the way it was—to me at the least. "So you want a zero-figure?" I asked cautiously.

_"__Oh hell, no!"_ she replied quickly. _"It's not zero, exactly …"_ she trailed off, leaving me wondering what on earth it _exactly_ was.

"What is it, baby?" I asked in my most loving voice—a voice reserved just for my wife.

The sound of a sniffle greeted me in answer and then Bella said, _"I'm excited about being a mom, Edward. You know that, right?"_

"Yeah. Baby, what's this about?" I asked desperately wanting to know that she's okay. "You're scaring me."

_"__I just … I feel like a blown up balloon!"_ she answered with another sniffle. _"I feel stuffy and shit. I can't even fit into my jeans anymore."_

_Oh!_ The light bulb in my head finally went on. In twenty one weeks pregnant, my wife was showing a tiny little bump. _I don't know what she means about feeling like a balloon though! To me, she looks adorable,_ I thought to myself.

I tried to divert her mind to try and make her forget about feeling "stuffy." In a low voice, I suggested to her, "You know, Bellarina, if your jeans don't fit, you can always go commando. Or better yet, you can stay naked all day for me."

My attempt at sexy-voice received a snort in response. _"You think I'm gonna walk around naked the whole day? Dream on, buddy!"_

_Yes! It's working._

Feigning an innocent tone, I asked her, "What's wrong with being au natural?"

_"__Hmm … let's see,_" she said, and I could just picture her tapping her chin and pretending to think. _"How about the fact that it's my day off and I have shit-ton of work to do? Or the fact that you'll be home in four hours—by which time, I'll freeze my ass off by parading around naked?"_

"I can think of ways to warm up that sweet ass for you, baby," I told her cheekily.

She huffed, but I could detect a smile in her voice even through the phone. _"Well, we'll just have to see about that when you get home then, won't we?"_

"I'm counting on it, love," I said to her before hanging up.

_Hmm … maybe I should do something to make my wife feel just how sexy she was to me._

**BPOV**

A few minutes after hanging up with Edward, my phone chimed with an incoming text message from Rose.

_Wanna go shopping? ~Rose~_

I thought for a moment before answering.

**_For what? ~Bella~_**

A moment passed before her answer came through.

_Lingerie. I can't ask Em to come with me or he'll get us both kicked out of VS for indecent exposure. ~Rose~_

I snickered before responding.

**_And whose fault will that be? ~Bella~_**

She answer came quicker this time, as if she knew that I was gonna ask that question—which knowing her, she probably did.

_You shush! We're going, or what? ~Rose~_

I considered her offer for a bit, because as much as I despised shopping, I knew I had to get new lingerie soon. _Better Rose than mom or Esme,_ I decided.

**_Sure. I'll meet you in the store. ~Bella~_**

**-OTC-**

About an hour later, as I was browsing through the thongs on display in Victoria's Secret, I heard a voice whisper in my ear, "Those look pretty flimsy, baby. I can't promise that those will survive when I get my hands on them."

I gasped and turned my head to find Edward standing there with that damn smirk playing on his lips. "Edward, how …?"

He snaked an arm around my waist and leaned down to steal a kiss from me before saying, "I thought I'll lend you a hand. You know, in case you forgot to buy some crotchless panties?"

His words coupled with the cheesy wink he sent in my way made me giggle.

He smiled and cupped my face in one of his hand, the other finding purchase on my lower back. "I love the way you laugh, Bellarina," he whispered to me. "You're so beautiful, love."

I blushed and then asked, "How did you know I'll be here?"

He grinned. "I have my ways, Mrs. Cullen," he said with a wink. When I poked his side, he grabbed my hand and added, "Fine. Rosalie helped me."

"Rose?" I frowned._ I thought Rose was taking me shopping to buy her own lingerie._ I looked around to the corner where I had seen Rose the last time, but she wasn't there.

Edward must have caught my frown because he kissed the corner of my mouth and said, "I asked her to bring you here."

"You? But why?"

He shrugged. "I wanted to buy my beautiful wife something …" He hesitated for a moment and then continued, "Something to let her know how much I love her—body and soul."

It finally clicked in my head that what might have brought this on, and immediately, I felt guilty. "Baby, I'm sorry for the phone call earlier …"

He stopped me by placing a finger on my lips and pressed a kiss to my forehead. "Never be afraid to share your feelings with me, love. That's what I'm here for."

"Thank you."

My simple words made him smile widely. "Now how about we grab whatever you like and then get the hell outta here? I'm feeling a little creepy being the only man in a lingerie shop. Besides, I want to see you model them for me in private."

I laughed and grabbed his hand in mine as I headed toward the cash counter. It might be the hormones, but I wanted to put on a show for him too.

**EPOV**

After getting back home, Bella headed down to the kitchen while I took a shower. When I got out, a few minutes later, I decided to go look for her.

Once I was downstairs, I hid in the shadows and looked on as my beautiful wife kept moving around the kitchen. I could hear the sound of her humming to the tune I had written for her. A slow smile took over my face as I saw her twists her hair up in a messy knot, exposing her neck to me.

She looked down at the kitchen counter in front of her and seemed to focus on the task at hand.

Keeping my eyes trained on her back, I slowly moved out of the shadows and approached her.

Her back stiffened slightly, and then the sound of her voice broke the silence. "You think you're so sneaky, don't you?"

I abandoned all pretenses of being a ninja and huffed as I walked up to stand right behind her.

When I wrapped my arms around her, she leaned into my touch.

I placed a soft kiss on the back of her neck and whispered in her ear, "I'm hungry, baby."

I could detect a smile in her voice as she replied to me. "Give me a few minutes and dinner will be ready."

"Mmm … what if I'm not hungry for food?" I asked, nudging the spot right beneath her ear with my nose.

She pretended to think for a moment before asking, "Then what can you possibly be hungry for?"

I reached out to take the spatula away from her hand and then turned her in my arms.

A smile stretched on her lips as she wrapped her arms around my neck.

Placing my arms on the counter on either side of her, I leaned in, letting my lips brush against hers as I speak. "How about my insanely sexy wife?"

Her eyes twinkle with happiness as she asked, "Is that so? Well, we can't have you go hungry now, can we?"

All I could manage in response was a deep groan before I was scooping her up in my arms and making her sit on the counter.

The next few moments clothes flew in every which direction. And the next thing I knew, I was buried deep inside of her with her legs wrapped around my hips.

As I moved in and out of her, she threw her head back, exposing her beautiful neck to me. I could not help but kiss and suck on the soft skin in my mouth.

She gasped at the sensation. "Edward, you're … you're gonna leave a mark."

Grinning against her skin, I asked, "Are you complaining?"

She shook her head as I increased my speed, finding the rhythm that was perfect for us. "No, fuck! Just don't … don't stop!"

And I didn't—not until we both jumped off the proverbial cliff.

When we found our breaths, she pushed my hair out of my forehead and kissed me lovingly. "What brought that on?"

I kissed the top of her head and replied, "I love you."

Throwing her arms around my neck, she smiled at me. "I love you too. Now that you've had me, are you hungry for food?"

_Silly girl! Doesn't she know that I'll always be hungry for her kisses? Her love? Just … her?_

I pulled out of her and helped her get down from the counter. "I could eat, but I'll always be hungry for you. You are my best medicine, Bellarina."

She smirked at my cheesy line and said, "The feeling is mutual, Smirky. We belong together."

"Now and forever," I whispered in a promise.

**A/N: Thank you for reading, and thank you for standing by my side in the last year.**

**I look forward to sharing lot more new and exciting adventures with you. :)**

**Share your thoughts about this outtake and leave a review?**

**Take care.**

**Love you.**

**Ann**


End file.
